Donald Trump Reveals He Is Set to Go to China in Spring Subsequent to Discussion with President Xi

Former President Donald Trump has declared that he agreed to visit Beijing in the month of April and invited Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit later next year, after a phone call between the two leaders.

Trump and Xi—who met recently in South Korea—covered a series of matters including trade, the Ukraine conflict, the opioid crisis, and the Taiwan issue, per the former president and China's foreign ministry.

"Our relationship with China is highly solid!" Trump wrote in a social media update.

Beijing's press outlet issued a comment that noted both countries should "continue advancing, proceed in the correct path on the basis of parity, respect and common gain".

Prior Engagement and Trade Developments

The officials held discussions in the South Korean city of Busan in October, after which they settled on a pause on trade taxes. The U.S. government decided to cut a import tax by half aimed at the supply of fentanyl.

Trade taxes continue on products from China and average just below 50%.

"Afterwards, the bilateral relations has largely sustained a consistent and favorable course, and this is greeted positively by the each side and the broader international community," the official comment added.

• The US then retracted a potential imposition of double tariffs on Chinese goods, while Beijing delayed its scheme to introduce its new set of restrictions on rare earths.

Commerce Discussions

The administration's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that the phone discussion with Xi—which took around 60 minutes—was centered on commerce.

"We are pleased with what we've witnessed from the Beijing, and they feel the same way," she said.

Broader Topics

Besides talking about economic matters, Xi and Trump raised the issues of the Ukraine war and the Taiwan situation.

Xi informed Trump that the island's "integration into China" is critical for the Chinese outlook for the "world order following wars".

The Chinese government has been engaged in a diplomatic battle with Japan, a American partner, over the longstanding "vague stance" on the authority of the independently administered island.

Recently, Japan's leader Sanae Takaichi said that any assault from Beijing on Taiwan could compel a Japanese military response.

Trump, but, did not mention the island in his social media update about the conversation.

The U.S. representative in Japan, George Glass, had earlier stated that the United States stands with Japan in the context of China's "intimidation".