Trump Says He Will Visit China in Spring Following Call with Xi
Former President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will travel to the Chinese capital in spring and asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for a official visit in the coming year, after a discussion between the two officials.
Trump and Xi—who convened nearly a month ago in Korea—talked about a range of issues including commerce, the Ukraine conflict, fentanyl, and Taiwan, per the former president and Beijing's diplomatic corps.
"Bilateral relations is extremely strong!" Trump posted in a online message.
Official Chinese media issued a statement that said both states should "continue advancing, progress in the correct path on the principle of parity, respect and shared interests".
Previous Meeting and Trade Developments
The officials held discussions in Busan, South Korea in October, subsequently they agreed to a truce on trade taxes. The US decided to cut a 20 percent duty by half intended to decrease the movement of the drug fentanyl.
Trade taxes stay on Chinese goods and stand at close to half.
"From that point, the bilateral relations has largely sustained a steady and positive trajectory, and this is welcomed by the two countries and the wider global audience," the official comment added.
- The US then withdrew a potential imposition of 100% additional tariffs on China's exports, while Beijing postponed its scheme to introduce its latest round of limits on mineral exports.
Commerce Discussions
The administration's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt commented that the recent conversation with Xi—which went on for an hour—was focused on commerce.
"The U.S. is happy with what we've seen from the Chinese, and they agree," she noted.
Broader Topics
Besides discussing trade, Xi and Trump discussed the issues of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Taiwan situation.
Xi told Trump that the island's "integration into China" is essential for the Chinese outlook for the "global system after conflicts".
The Chinese government has been engaged in a political dispute with Japan, a American partner, over the longstanding "vague stance" on the authority of self-governed Taiwan.
Earlier this month, Tokyo's head Sanae Takaichi stated that a potential assault from Beijing on Taiwan could compel a reaction by Tokyo's army.
Trump, but, did not refer to the island in his online message about the call.
US Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, previously said that the U.S. government backs Japan in the context of China's "coercion".
