Trump Says He Will Visit China in April After Discussion with Xi
Leader Donald Trump has confirmed that he agreed to go to Beijing in the month of April and asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit next year, following a discussion between the two officials.
Trump and Xi—who met nearly a month ago in the Republic of Korea—talked about a range of issues including commerce, the situation in Ukraine, fentanyl, and the island of Taiwan, according to the U.S. leader and Beijing's diplomatic corps.
"The U.S.-China ties is very robust!" Trump stated in a Truth Social post.
China's state news agency released a announcement that said both countries should "continue advancing, proceed in the positive way on the principle of fairness, mutual respect and common gain".
Previous Meeting and Trade Developments
The leaders met in the South Korean city of Busan in the fall, subsequently they reached a ceasefire on tariffs. The United States decided to cut a import tax in half aimed at the flow of opioids.
Duties stay on imports and stand at nearly 50 percent.
"Since then, the Sino-American ties has mostly kept a stable and upward path, and this is greeted positively by the two countries and the broader international community," the Chinese statement said.
- The United States then pulled back a warning of double tariffs on Chinese goods, while the Chinese government postponed its plan to enforce its new set of rare earth export controls.
Focus on Trade
Official representative Karoline Leavitt stated that the Monday call with Xi—which went on for an hour—was centered on trade.
"We are pleased with what we've observed from the Beijing, and they share that sentiment," she remarked.
Broader Topics
In addition to addressing commerce, Xi and Trump discussed the issues of the Ukraine war and the Taiwan situation.
Xi stated to Trump that Taiwan's "reunification with China" is critical for Beijing's perspective for the "world order following wars".
Beijing has been involved in a diplomatic battle with Japan, a U.S. friend, over the long-term "vague stance" on the sovereignty of Taiwan.
Recently, Japan's leader Sanae Takaichi said that a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan could lead to a response from Japan's forces.
Trump, however, did not discuss Taiwan in his social media update about the discussion.
US Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, previously said that the U.S. government stands with the Japanese in the context of China's "intimidation".