President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke by phone Monday, continuing a recent run of diplomatic and trade interactions focused on tariffs, export controls and regional security. Trump posted about the call on Truth Social, saying the two discussed Ukraine and Russia, fentanyl, soybeans and other farm products, and hailed a “good, and very important, deal” for American farmers while calling bilateral ties “extremely strong.”
China’s state news agency described the conversation as constructive, saying both sides should “keep up the momentum” and advance cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, expanding areas of collaboration while narrowing disputes to produce more positive outcomes for both countries and the wider world.
The telephone call follows an October face-to-face meeting in Busan, South Korea, and a September call between the leaders. After Busan, the U.S. halved a 20% tariff that had been imposed to limit fentanyl-related trade flows; despite that cut, the average tariff on Chinese goods remains just under 50% overall. In October, U.S. and Chinese trade teams reached a rough understanding that prompted the U.S. to step back from plans for additional threatened tariffs, and China agreed to suspend for one year a planned export control regime on many refined rare earth materials — a sector where China holds significant market leverage. After the suspension period, Beijing could still restrict access to materials used in a range of technologies, from consumer electronics and automobiles to fighter jets and semiconductor manufacturing.
Trump said Xi invited him to visit Beijing in April, and that he had invited Xi to take part in a state visit to Washington next year. Both leaders agreed on the importance of frequent communication.
According to China’s account of the call, the leaders also discussed Taiwan and Ukraine. China has repeatedly urged Ukraine to sign a peace agreement with Russia, a key Chinese trading partner. In the conversation, Xi reportedly framed Taiwan’s eventual reunification with China as an important element of the post-war international order.
The call comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Tokyo after Japan’s new prime minister warned that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would pose an “existential threat” to Japan. Chinese diplomats lodged protests at the United Nations, and Beijing has taken measures such as cutting some tour group flights to Japan, reflecting a broader diplomatic spat over the remark.