AsianFin -- U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke Monday in their first call since agreeing to a tariff truce last month, with both leaders signaling continued engagement while highlighting persistent differences over Taiwan. Trump accepted Xi's invitation to visit Beijing in April and reciprocated with an offer for a state visit later this year.
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The U.S. president described the call as "very good" in a post on Truth Social, saying they discussed purchases of soybeans and farm products, curbing fentanyl shipments, and the Ukraine conflict. "Our relationship with China is extremely strong!" Trump wrote. "There has been significant progress on both sides in keeping our agreements current and accurate."
However, Xi used the conversation to emphasize that Taiwan's "return to China" is integral to the post-World War II international order, according to a statement from China's foreign affairs ministry. The Chinese leader said Trump acknowledged understanding "how important the Taiwan question is to China."
The call comes as tensions between China and Japan over Taiwan threaten to complicate the fragile US-China détente. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo, prompting Beijing to issue a travel advisory for Japan and suspend imports of Japanese seafood.
Taiwan Question Takes Center Stage
Xi's emphasis on Taiwan reflects Beijing's growing concerns over the island's status. According to the Chinese foreign ministry statement, Xi told Trump that "given what is going on, it is even more important" for the two sides to "jointly safeguard the victory of World War II."
Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Xi said China and the United States "should keep up the momentum in ties" following their October meeting in Busan, South Korea. That summit produced a one-year trade truce that saw Washington lower fentanyl-related tariffs and Beijing agree to remove restrictions on rare earth exports.
The White House confirmed the call to CNBC but did not immediately provide details about what was discussed. Trump later posted that the leaders "agreed that it is important that we communicate often, which I look forward to doing."
Ukraine and Agricultural Trade on Agenda
On Ukraine, Xi expressed support for "all efforts that are conducive to peace," according to the Chinese ministry's readout. The discussion comes as the Trump administration is pushing for Ukraine to agree to a peace plan by Thanksgiving.
Trump highlighted progress on agricultural purchases, writing that "we have done a good, and very important, deal for our Great Farmers — and it will only get better." The emphasis on soybeans follows last week's announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of China's largest single-day soybean purchase in two years, totaling 792,000 tons.
Bloomberg reported that state-owned trader Cofco Group booked nearly 20 cargoes from Pacific Northwest and US Gulf terminals for December and January delivery. Carlos Salinas, executive director for East Asia at the US Soybean Export Council, called it "a huge confirmation that the agreement is being executed."
Outstanding Issues Remain
Despite the positive tone, significant details remain unresolved. People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the US and China are still negotiating terms for "general licenses" that Beijing pledged to offer for rare earth exports by month's end. The US has already rolled back tariffs despite these talks remaining in limbo.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Monday in a Bloomberg Television interview that Trump is also hearing from advisers about whether to approve sales of advanced AI chips to Beijing. "That kind of decision sits right on the desk of Donald Trump," Lutnick said. "He will decide whether we go forward with that or not."
Xi's last visit to the United States was in 2023 under the Biden administration for a leaders summit in California.
