President Donald Trump declared the United States-China relationship is “extremely strong” following a significant phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The leaders discussed a range of critical global and bilateral issues, including trade, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and the sensitive topic of Taiwan.
Trump highlighted positive developments for American farmers, suggesting a beneficial trade outcome from their dialogue. He shared his optimism on social media platform Truth Social, emphasizing the robust nature of the Sino-American connection.
During their conversation, Xi Jinping reiterated China’s stance on Taiwan, asserting its return to mainland China as a fundamental aspect of the post-war international order. This statement comes amid heightened regional tensions, following recent remarks from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting potential Japanese military involvement if China were to act against Taiwan. Beijing has strongly condemned Takaichi’s comments, causing a significant dip in China-Japan relations.
Xi also emphasized the shared history between China and the US as allies during World War II, calling for joint efforts to safeguard the victory against fascism and militarism. While the US maintains a policy of strategic ambiguity regarding direct military intervention in a Taiwan conflict, it is committed by law to supplying Taiwan with defensive capabilities. Trump’s administration has previously pushed Taiwan to increase its defense spending and approved a significant arms sale earlier this year, which Beijing vehemently protested as a violation of the one-China principle.
The leaders also touched upon trade, though specifics on agreements, such as American soybean purchases, were not detailed in Chinese statements. Xi reportedly described the bilateral relationship as maintaining a steady and positive trajectory since their previous summit, urging further progress. The Ukraine crisis was also on the agenda, with Xi advocating for a resolution addressing the conflict’s root causes.