Donald Trump Says He Will Visit China in the Month of April After Discussion with President Xi

Placeholder Leaders in Discussion

Leader Donald Trump has stated that he will travel to Beijing in the month of April and invited Chinese President Xi Jinping for a official visit in the coming year, following a discussion between the two officials.

Trump and Xi—who convened about a month back in the Republic of Korea—covered a range of issues including trade, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the opioid crisis, and the Taiwan issue, according to the U.S. leader and Beijing's diplomatic corps.

"The U.S.-China ties is very robust!" Trump posted in a online message.

China's state news agency issued a comment that indicated both countries should "maintain progress, keep moving forward in the correct path on the basis of fairness, respect and common gain".

Prior Engagement and Trade Developments

The leaders convened in Busan, South Korea in October, after which they reached a ceasefire on tariffs. The United States chose to slash a 20% tariff by half targeting the flow of opioids.

Trade taxes remain on products from China and stand at nearly 50 percent.

"From that point, the China-US relationship has generally maintained a stable and upward path, and this is greeted positively by the two countries and the broader international community," the Beijing's announcement added.

  • The United States then pulled back a potential imposition of double tariffs on China's exports, while Beijing put off its intention to enforce its new set of limits on mineral exports.

Economic Emphasis

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the phone discussion with Xi—which lasted about an hour—was mainly about trade.

"We are satisfied with what we've witnessed from the Chinese, and they agree," she remarked.

Additional Issues

In addition to talking about commerce, Xi and Trump broached the subjects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the island.

Xi told Trump that Taiwan's "return to China" is essential for China's vision for the "global system after conflicts".

The Chinese government has been involved in a political dispute with the Japanese government, a US ally, over the long-term "strategic ambiguity" on the sovereignty of self-governed Taiwan.

In the past few weeks, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that any assault from Beijing on Taiwan could force a reaction by Tokyo's army.

Trump, though, did not discuss Taiwan in his online message about the conversation.

The U.S. representative in Japan, George Glass, had earlier stated that the U.S. government supports the Japanese in the wake of China's "intimidation".

Alisha Robbins
Alisha Robbins

An avid skier and travel writer with over a decade of experience exploring mountain resorts across Europe.