Trump Says He Will Visit China in the Month of April Subsequent to Phone Conversation with Xi Jinping
Former President Donald Trump has stated that he will visit China's capital in April and extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping for a official visit later next year, subsequent to a phone call between the two leaders.
Trump and Xi—who convened about a month back in the Republic of Korea—discussed a series of matters including trade, the Ukraine conflict, the opioid crisis, and the Taiwan issue, as stated by the president and Chinese officials.
"Bilateral relations is highly solid!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Official Chinese media issued a comment that noted both nations should "maintain progress, keep moving forward in the correct path on the principle of equality, respect and common gain".
Prior Engagement and Economic Agreements
The officials held discussions in Busan in October, after which they settled on a pause on import duties. The U.S. government opted to slash a 20 percent duty by 50% aimed at the movement of opioids.
Trade taxes continue on imports and average close to half.
"From that point, the China-US relationship has mostly kept a consistent and favorable course, and this is greeted positively by the each side and the broader international community," the Beijing's announcement added.
- The United States then withdrew a potential imposition of 100% additional tariffs on Chinese goods, while the Chinese government delayed its scheme to implement its recent phase of rare earth export controls.
Focus on Trade
The administration's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that the recent conversation with Xi—which took around 60 minutes—was mainly about commerce.
"The U.S. is happy with what we've witnessed from the Chinese, and they share that sentiment," she remarked.
Wider Discussions
Along with addressing trade, Xi and Trump broached the issues of the conflict in Ukraine and Taiwan.
Xi told Trump that the island's "integration into China" is vital for the Chinese outlook for the "global system after conflicts".
China has been part of a political dispute with Tokyo, a U.S. friend, over the enduring "strategic ambiguity" on the control of Taiwan.
In the past few weeks, Tokyo's head Sanae Takaichi said that a potential military action by China on Taiwan could force a Japanese military response.
Trump, though, did not mention Taiwan in his Truth Social post about the discussion.
America's envoy to Tokyo, George Glass, had earlier stated that the U.S. government stands with Tokyo in the context of China's "pressure".