🔗 Share this article

Leader Donald Trump has declared that he plans to travel to Beijing in the month of April and invited Chinese President Xi Jinping for a diplomatic trip next year, following a telephone conversation between the two leaders.

Trump and Xi—who held talks about a month back in Korea—talked about a variety of topics including economic relations, the situation in Ukraine, synthetic drugs, and the island of Taiwan, per the former president and China's foreign ministry.

"The U.S.-China ties is highly solid!" Trump stated in a Truth Social post.

Beijing's press outlet issued a announcement that noted both countries should "continue advancing, keep moving forward in the correct path on the foundation of equality, respect and mutual benefit".

Prior Engagement and Economic Agreements

The officials held discussions in Busan, South Korea in the fall, subsequently they settled on a pause on import duties. The United States opted to reduce a import tax by 50% aimed at the flow of opioids.

Tariffs continue on imports and are around nearly 50 percent.

"Afterwards, the Sino-American ties has generally maintained a stable and upward path, and this is greeted positively by the two countries and the wider global audience," the Beijing's announcement noted.

• The US then pulled back a potential imposition of 100% additional tariffs on Chinese goods, while Beijing postponed its plan to introduce its latest round of rare earth export controls.

Economic Emphasis

The administration's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt commented that the phone discussion with Xi—which took around 60 minutes—was focused on commerce.

"We are satisfied with what we've witnessed from the Chinese, and they feel the same way," she remarked.

Wider Discussions

Besides addressing economic matters, Xi and Trump raised the topics of the conflict in Ukraine and Taiwan.

Xi stated to Trump that Taiwan's "integration into China" is critical for the Chinese outlook for the "post-war international order".

The Chinese government has been engaged in a political dispute with Japan, a US ally, over the long-term "vague stance" on the authority of the independently administered island.

Recently, Tokyo's head Sanae Takaichi stated that an eventual military action by China on the island could force a reaction by Tokyo's army.

Trump, though, did not discuss the Taiwan issue in his online message about the discussion.

The U.S. representative in Japan, George Glass, previously said that the United States backs the Japanese in the wake of China's "intimidation".