Overview
- Xi Jinping and Donald Trump held a Feb. 4 phone call that Trump called “excellent” and “very positive,” their first conversation since November.
- The leaders discussed trade, military issues, Taiwan, Iran, the Russia‑Ukraine war, and Trump’s planned April trip to China.
- China’s readout emphasized that Taiwan is the most important issue in the relationship and urged the United States to handle arms sales to Taiwan with caution.
- Trump said China would boost purchases of U.S. energy and agricultural goods, including higher soybean volumes, though Beijing’s summary did not mention such commitments.
- Hours earlier, Xi spoke with Vladimir Putin, proposed deeper China–Russia cooperation, and invited him to visit in the first half of 2026, with the Kremlin saying it was informed in advance of the Xi–Trump call as the talks coincided with the New START treaty’s expiry and ongoing tensions over Iran and Ukraine.