Following his telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump announced that the two leaders will exchange official visits.
Trump said he would travel to Beijing in April, while Xi would come to the U.S. later next year. “It could be Florida, Palm Beach, or Washington, D.C.,” Trump said, adding that the meeting schedule was still being determined.
The first report on the meeting came from China’s official Xinhua news agency. According to the agency, Xi stated that “the momentum in bilateral relations must be maintained” following the two countries’ summit in South Korea last month. Xi also stated that “Taiwan’s return to China is an important part of the post-war international order.”
Xi, recalling that China and the US are “fighting together in the war against fascism and militarism,” said, “We must protect the victory of World War II together.” Areas of bilateral cooperation were also discussed during the meeting, according to the Associated Press.
While the US has not officially stated its position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, it opposes annexation and provides Taiwan with defensive weapons as required by domestic law. While the Trump administration is pressuring Taiwan to increase its defense spending, strategic uncertainty remains about whether US troops would be deployed in the event of a Taiwan Strait conflict.
The call followed a trade truce reached last month between the world’s two largest economies. Under the agreement, Washington reduced tariffs on certain Chinese products from 57 percent to 47 percent, while Beijing lifted select restrictions on rare earth mineral exports. Trump also announced that China had resumed purchases of American soybeans and assured that there would be no delays or additional restrictions on rare earth minerals.
*This is not investment advice.