Trump and Xi Talk Taiwan, Ukraine & Trade Relations/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call Monday. The two leaders discussed Taiwan, Ukraine, and trade, with Xi reaffirming China’s stance on Taiwan. The conversation follows rising regional tensions and recent remarks by Japan regarding Taiwan’s defense. Trump says he will visit Beijing in April and host China’s Xi for a state visit later next year.
Trump-Xi Taiwan Talk Quick Looks
- Trump and Xi spoke by phone Monday morning
- Topics included Taiwan, trade, and the Ukraine conflict
- Xi emphasized Taiwan’s return as part of post-war order
- White House confirmed the call but gave no specifics
- China highlighted historical US-China wartime alliance
- Conversation followed Japan’s statement on Taiwan defense
- No trade deal specifics were publicly disclosed
- Xi said ties with the US have generally improved
Trump and Xi Talk Taiwan, Ukraine & Trade Relations
Deep Look
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping engaged in a phone conversation Monday, according to officials from both the White House and China’s Foreign Ministry. The high-level dialogue covered sensitive geopolitical issues including Taiwan, U.S.-China trade relations, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump says he will visit Beijing in April and host China’s Xi for a state visit later next year.
Trump said he has accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit Beijing in April and that he reciprocated by inviting Xi for a state visit to the U.S. later next year.
Trump made the announcement a few hours after he spoke with Xi on the phone on Monday morning, in which he said the two men discussed issues including Ukraine, fentanyl, and soybeans. The phone call came nearly one month after the two men met in person in the South Korean city of Busan.
“Our relationship with China is extremely strong!” Trump said.
While the White House confirmed the call occurred, it offered no further public detail. However, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua provided a broader outline of the conversation. Xi reiterated China’s long-held position on Taiwan, calling the island’s “return to the motherland” an essential component of the post-World War II international order.
“Taiwan’s return to China is an integral part of the post-war international order,” Xi reportedly told Trump during the call. He also framed U.S.-China cooperation in World War II as a shared foundation that should continue guiding diplomatic efforts today.
The conversation came amid rising tension in the Asia-Pacific region. Just days earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi signaled that Japan’s military could potentially become involved should China take aggressive action toward Taiwan. Beijing sees the self-governed island as a breakaway province and opposes any form of international support for Taiwan’s autonomy.
In the call, Xi made reference to the World War II alliance between China and the United States, stating that the two nations should “jointly safeguard the victorious outcome” of that conflict. This phrasing echoes China’s long-standing narrative that emphasizes post-war order and sovereignty claims under international law.
The topic of trade was also reportedly discussed, though neither side announced any new agreements or breakthroughs. U.S. agricultural exports like soybeans, often a focal point in previous trade negotiations, were not specifically mentioned in the Chinese government’s account of the call.
The phone call also marked the first known conversation between Trump and Xi since their last in-person meeting in South Korea at the end of October. According to Xinhua, Xi noted that U.S.-China relations have remained “generally stable and improved” since that encounter.
The call comes at a time when the international community is closely watching U.S.-China engagement, particularly with global hotspots like Taiwan and Ukraine remaining flashpoints. In Ukraine, both China and the U.S. have been involved diplomatically, though from very different angles—China maintains a neutral stance while the U.S. remains a strong supporter of Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Although the Trump-Xi conversation was short on concrete policy outcomes, its timing and content are significant. The renewed communication could signal an effort by both leaders to stabilize dialogue amid rising friction across several fronts, including the South China Sea, semiconductor supply chains, and trade tariffs.
In keeping with China’s emphasis on long-term historical narratives, Xi positioned the Taiwan issue not just as a regional matter, but as part of a broader global post-war framework. Meanwhile, Trump’s office has not elaborated on his specific comments during the call, leaving analysts to interpret what the silence may indicate.
The absence of detailed disclosures from the White House stands in contrast to China’s proactive messaging strategy, which continues to highlight Beijing’s global positioning and assertiveness on sovereignty issues. Nonetheless, the mere fact that the call occurred suggests ongoing lines of communication remain open between the world’s two largest economies.
As regional powers like Japan and Taiwan become more vocal about security threats in East Asia, the stakes surrounding U.S.-China relations only continue to rise. With no formal agreements resulting from the conversation, the Trump-Xi dialogue is better seen as a diplomatic signal than a concrete policy shift—at least for now.
Trump has maintained strategic ambiguity about whether he would send U.S. troops in case of a war in the Taiwan Strait. His administration has urged Taiwan to increase its defense budget.
Earlier this month, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it received official notification that the Trump administration approved a US$330 million arms sales to Taiwan, including fighter jet parts.
Beijing immediately protested the arms sale, saying it “grossly violated” the one-China principle, by which Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of Chinese territory. “China deplores and opposes that,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said then.
The two leaders also discussed trade, but the Chinese statement did not reveal any concrete agreements on matters such as purchases of American soybeans.
In the call, Xi said the bilateral relationship has “generally maintained a steady and positive trajectory” following the Busan summit, and he said the two sides should strive to make “more positive progress,” according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
The two leaders also discussed the Ukraine crisis, the Chinese side said, when Xi said the crisis should be resolved “at its root.”
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