Nov. 24 (UPI) — U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone Monday to discuss, among a number of topics, the Russia-Ukraine war, farming, the status of Taiwan and committing to future state visits.
China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that the two leaders, who also met last month in South Korea, “reached many important common understandings.” The two reportedly agreed to reciprocal in-person meetings, lower U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and export measures for rare-Earth minerals.
“We recalibrated the course of the giant ship of China-U.S. relations and provided more momentum for it to sail forward steadily, thus sending a positive message to the world,” Chinese officials said in a statement.
Trump confirmed an invite from Xi to visit Beijing next year in April. In addition, Xi is expected to come to the United States later next year for an official occasion.
“President Xi invited me to visit Beijing in April, which I accepted, and I reciprocated where he will be my guest for a state visit in the U.S. later in the year. We agreed that it is important that we communicate often, which I look forward to doing,” Trump wrote on social media.
The American president said “significant” progress had been achieved “on both sides in keeping our agreements current and accurate.”
The White House said the two touched on issues related to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the fentanyl crisis, soybeans and other agricultural issues.
Xi, Chinese foreign ministry officials said, emphasized to Trump that China supports “all efforts that are conducive to peace, and expressed the hope that the various sides would narrow their differences, reach a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement at an early date, and resolve the crisis at its root.”
Meanwhile, the question over Taiwan has been at the forefront regarding stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
China recently retaliated against Japan following comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over Japan’s diplomatic stance on independent Taiwan.
On Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry stated Monday that during Trump’s call with Xi, China’s communist leader “underscored that Taiwan’s return to China is an integral part of the post-war international order.”
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said in March that Taiwan must implement “proactive measures” to thwart China’s use of its democracy against it.
But since the conference in Busan, U.S.-Chinese relations have reportedly “generally remained stable and improved,” the Chinese statement said. “And this is welcomed by the two countries and the broader international community.
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