Trump Announces He Will Visit China in April Following Discussion with Xi Jinping

Placeholder Leaders in Discussion

President Donald Trump has stated that he agreed to visit the Chinese capital in April and asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for a diplomatic trip later next year, after a telephone conversation between the two officials.

Trump and Xi—who held talks nearly a month ago in South Korea—discussed a variety of topics including economic relations, the Ukraine conflict, the opioid crisis, and Taiwan, per the U.S. leader and Chinese officials.

"Our relationship with China is extremely strong!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

Official Chinese media published a statement that said both states should "continue advancing, keep moving forward in the positive way on the principle of parity, mutual respect and mutual benefit".

Previous Meeting and Economic Agreements

The heads of state convened in Busan in October, after which they reached a ceasefire on trade taxes. The U.S. government decided to cut a 20 percent duty by 50% aimed at the supply of the drug fentanyl.

Tariffs continue on products from China and average nearly 50 percent.

"From that point, the China-US relationship has mostly kept a steady and positive trajectory, and this is greeted positively by the two countries and the wider global audience," the Beijing's announcement added.

  • The United States then retracted a warning of double tariffs on products, while the Chinese government postponed its plan to implement its latest round of rare earth export controls.

Commerce Discussions

The administration's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that the recent conversation with Xi—which lasted about an hour—was centered on commerce.

"The U.S. is happy with what we've seen from the China, and they feel the same way," she said.

Broader Topics

In addition to talking about economic matters, Xi and Trump raised the subjects of the Ukraine war and Taiwan.

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

Beijing has been involved in a foreign policy clash with Japan, a US ally, over the long-term "strategic ambiguity" on the control of the independently administered island.

Earlier this month, Tokyo's head Sanae Takaichi commented that a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan could force a response from Japan's forces.

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

The U.S. representative in Japan, George Glass, previously said that the U.S. government stands with Japan in the wake of Beijing's "intimidation".

Jennifer Woods
Jennifer Woods

An avid hiker and environmental writer sharing insights from global trails and sustainable living practices.

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