Washington/Beijing: U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that he recently spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping over the phone and is now planning a visit to China. He also extended an invitation to President Xi to visit the United States, although neither country has officially confirmed any such visit.
According to Chinese media, the phone conversation took place at the request of the White House. In a post on his social media platform, Trump shared that the call lasted around 90 minutes and largely focused on trade-related matters. “The outcome was positive for both countries,” he wrote.
During a press appearance at the Oval Office alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump said, “President Xi invited me to China, and I invited him to the United States. We both accepted each other’s invitations.” He added that he would be accompanied by his wife on the China trip and expressed hope that Xi would also visit the U.S. with his spouse.
However, the Chinese government’s official statement only mentioned the invitation extended to Trump, omitting any reference to a U.S. invitation for Xi.
China’s state news agency, Xinhua, reported that during the call, President Xi urged the U.S. to roll back negative actions taken against China. Xi reiterated that China honors its commitments and emphasized that both sides should adhere to the terms of a recent trade agreement reached in Geneva.
Despite the agreement, both countries have accused each other of violating its terms. The deal was originally aimed at reducing tariffs between the two economic giants. Trump previously described it as a “total reset.”
In February of this year, Trump imposed tariffs on several countries, with the heaviest duties targeting Chinese goods. In response, China retaliated with steep tariffs on American products, escalating the ongoing trade war. This led to the Geneva meeting in May, where both sides reached a partial compromise.
As part of the agreement, the U.S. reduced tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, while China lowered its tariffs on American goods from 125% to 10%.
Despite the tentative progress, tensions remain, with state visits and diplomatic gestures seen as crucial next steps in rebuilding trust.
