Trump Announces He Plans to Travel to China in April Following Call with President Xi
Former President Donald Trump has declared that he agreed to travel to the Chinese capital in spring and invited Chinese President Xi Jinping for a official visit later next year, after a telephone conversation between the two officials.
Trump and Xi—who met about a month back in Korea—covered a series of matters including trade, the situation in Ukraine, fentanyl, and the Taiwan issue, according to the U.S. leader and China's foreign ministry.
"The U.S.-China ties is very robust!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Beijing's press outlet issued a announcement that indicated both states should "maintain progress, progress in the positive way on the principle of parity, mutual respect and mutual benefit".
Prior Engagement and Economic Agreements
The leaders convened in Busan, South Korea in the fall, after which they settled on a pause on trade taxes. The US chose to slash a 20 percent duty by 50% targeting the flow of the drug fentanyl.
Duties remain on imports and are around nearly 50 percent.
"Afterwards, the China-US relationship has generally maintained a consistent and favorable course, and this is appreciated by the two countries and the international community at large," the Chinese statement added.
- The US then retracted a potential imposition of 100% additional tariffs on products, while Beijing put off its intention to enforce its latest round of limits on mineral exports.
Economic Emphasis
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Monday call with Xi—which took around 60 minutes—was centered on commerce.
"We are satisfied with what we've witnessed from the Beijing, and they feel the same way," she noted.
Broader Topics
In addition to talking about trade, Xi and Trump broached the issues of the conflict in Ukraine and the island.
Xi told Trump that Taiwan's "return to China" is essential for the Chinese outlook for the "post-war international order".
The Chinese government has been involved in a diplomatic battle with Japan, a US ally, over the enduring "uncertain policy" on the authority of Taiwan.
Recently, Japan's leader Sanae Takaichi said that an eventual Chinese attack on the island could compel a response from Japan's forces.
Trump, however, did not refer to Taiwan in his online message about the call.
The U.S. representative in Japan, George Glass, previously said that the United States backs Tokyo in the aftermath of China's "coercion".