President Donald Trump has stated that he agreed to visit Beijing in April and invited Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit later next year, following a phone call between the two leaders.
Trump and Xi, who met nearly a month ago in South Korea, discussed a range of issues including trade, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fentanyl, and Taiwan, according to the president and China's foreign ministry.
Our relationship with China is extremely strong! Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
China's state news agency released a statement saying that both countries should keep up the momentum, keep moving forward in the right direction on the basis of equality, respect, and mutual benefit.
The leaders had previously met in Busan, South Korea in October, agreeing to a truce on tariffs where the U.S. decided to cut a 20% tariff aimed at decreasing the flow of fentanyl.
Currently, tariffs on Chinese goods remain close to 50%.
China's statement affirmed that since the last meeting, the China-U.S. relationship has maintained a steady and positive trajectory, which is welcomed by both nations and the international community.
Additionally, the conversation during the recent call lasted about an hour and was primarily focused on trade.
In addition to trade, Xi and Trump discussed the topics of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and tensions surrounding Taiwan.
Xi emphasized that Taiwan's return to China is crucial for China's vision for the post-war international order.
The dialogue reflects ongoing diplomatic challenges, particularly regarding Taiwan, which has been a point of contention in U.S.-China relations.
Trump did not mention Taiwan in his post regarding the call, despite its significance in the discussions.
