Kamal Ghorui
File photo: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Picture credit: PTI)
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a wide-ranging telephone conversation on Wednesday, discussing issues spanning trade, security, Taiwan, Iran and the war in Ukraine, as Washington and Beijing seek to stabilise ties between the world’s two largest economies.Trump described the call as “excellent”, “long” and “thorough” in a post on Truth Social, saying the two leaders covered “many important subjects”, including trade, military issues, his planned visit to China in April, Taiwan, Russia’s war with Ukraine, the situation in Iran, and potential energy and agricultural deals between the two countries.
“The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way,” Trump said, adding that he expected “many positive results” over the next three years of his presidency.
Iran pressure and trade warnings feature in talks
Trump said the leaders discussed Iran at a time when the US administration is pressing Beijing and other countries to isolate Tehran. Trump has previously warned that Washington would impose a 25% tariff on imports from countries that continue doing business with Iran, as part of efforts to curb its nuclear programme. Despite years of sanctions, Iran conducted nearly $125 billion in international trade in 2024, including $32 billion with China, news agency AP reported, citing World Trade Organization data.
Energy, agriculture and commercial deals on agenda
Trade and economic cooperation also featured prominently in the call. Trump said China was considering purchasing more US oil and gas, as well as additional American agricultural products. He claimed Beijing was looking at increasing soybean imports, including lifting purchases to 20 million tonnes for the current season and committing to 25 million tonnes next season. The US president also said the leaders discussed airplane engine deliveries and other commercial issues.
Taiwan remains core issue for Beijing
Taiwan was a key topic, according to a Chinese readout cited by the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Xi told Trump that the Taiwan question is the “most important” issue in China-US relations, stressing that Taiwan is Chinese territory and urging Washington to handle arms sales to the island with “extreme caution”.Beijing views Taiwan as part of China and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification.Trump, for his part, said he values China’s concerns on Taiwan and is willing to maintain communication with Beijing to keep bilateral ties stable, the SCMP reported. He also described the US-China relationship as the world’s most important bilateral relationship and said he respected Xi and wanted ties to remain “positive and stable” during his term.
Call follows Xi-Putin talks amid global tensions
The call came just hours after Xi held a video conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, underlining Beijing’s active engagement on multiple diplomatic fronts. Putin and Xi discussed expanding Russia-China cooperation, including in energy, nuclear power, space and high-technology projects, even as China continues outreach to Western leaders amid the ongoing Ukraine war.Trump said his conversation with Xi reinforced the importance of continued dialogue. “We both realize how important it is to keep it that way,” he said, referring to the overall relationship, as Washington and Beijing navigate strategic competition alongside economic interdependence.
