Overview
- China’s foreign ministry said Xi told Trump that Taiwan’s “return to China” is an integral part of the post‑war international order and asserted that the United States understands the issue’s importance to Beijing.
- Trump confirmed a “very good” call, said they discussed Ukraine, fentanyl and soybeans, and announced he accepted an April 2026 visit to Beijing with a reciprocal U.S. state visit for Xi later in the year.
- The call came as China sustained pressure on Japan over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks, issuing a travel advisory, suspending some cultural exchanges, reimposing a seafood import ban and denouncing a planned missile unit on Yonaguni.
- Both leaders pointed to momentum from their October Busan meeting, where a provisional framework included lower U.S. tariffs, limited easing of Chinese rare‑earth export curbs and expanded soybean purchases that still require final terms.
- Recent U.S. notification to Congress of a proposed US$330 million arms sale to Taiwan drew protests from Beijing during this period of heightened regional tensions.