Trump and Xi revive tone of cooperation in wide-ranging call on trade, Taiwan

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have spoken by phone in a broad, carefully choreographed conversation that both sides framed as a sign of renewed momentum in US-China relations, following their meeting in South Korea last month.

Hours after the call on Monday morning, Trump struck an upbeat note, describing the relationship as “extremely strong” and the conversation as “very good”. He said the two leaders covered the war in Ukraine, fentanyl trafficking and a deal for American farmers, while also exchanging invitations to visit each other’s countries. Trump said he had accepted an invitation to travel to China in April, with Xi expected to visit the United States later this year.

“Now we can set our sights on the big picture … We agreed that it is important that we communicate often, which I look forward to doing,” Trump said.

Notably, Trump did not publicly mention Taiwan. China’s Foreign Ministry, however, was more direct. It said Xi told Trump that Taiwan’s return to China was an “integral part of the post-war international order” shaped by the joint US-China fight against “fascism and militarism”. The statement also said Trump acknowledged how important the Taiwan question is to Beijing, even as Washington continues to arm and support the self-governing island without formally recognising it as a state.

The timing of the call comes as tensions rise in East Asia, with Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggesting Tokyo could consider military action if Taiwan were attacked, triggering sharp criticism from Beijing.

Beyond geopolitics, trade once again sat at the centre of the conversation. The phone call follows last month’s meeting in Busan, where the two sides reached a tentative understanding to ease some of the pressure from their ongoing trade war. Beijing agreed to suspend export restrictions on critical minerals for a year, while Washington said it would reduce tariffs and see China increase purchases of US agricultural products.

Trump highlighted that aspect in particular. He said they discussed “Fentanyl, Soybeans and other Farm Products”, adding:

“We have done a good, and very important, deal for our Great Farmers – and it will only get better,” though no new specifics were released.

On Ukraine, Xi reiterated China’s long-held position as a neutral actor, saying he supported “all efforts that are conducive to peace” and hoped the crisis could be resolved “at its root”, according to Beijing’s account of the call.