Xi Presses Trump On Taiwan Amid Spat With Japan, China Says

Chinese President Xi Jinping pressed US President Donald Trump on the status of the self-governing island of Taiwan and urged his counterpart to maintain improved ties, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Xi told Trump that the return of Taiwan to China is a key part of the post-World War II international order, according to a statement on the call. The Chinese leader also said the two countries should keep the positive momentum generated during their meeting last month in South Korea and expand cooperation, the statement said.

The leaders also spoke about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Xi expressed hope for the two sides to reach a binding peace agreement, the ministry said.

A White House official confirmed the call took place but did not offer details on the discussion.

An ongoing row between Japan and China centered around Taiwan threatens to inject fresh tensions into the Trump-Xi relationship and complicate ties, after the world’s two largest economies reached a trade truce in October.

That deal saw Washington lower tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing agree to remove certain restrictions on the export of rare earths. Any flare-up between the US and China could cause further uncertainty for markets and business leaders.

New Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier this month that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could result in a military response from Tokyo. Beijing views the island as its own territory and has denounced Takaichi’s remarks, demanding a retraction.

Since then, China has issued a no-travel advisory for Japan, suspended the screening of some Japanese films and banned the import of Japanese seafood. Both countries have also stepped up military drills, with China announcing patrols in the East China Sea and Japan announcing plans to deploy missiles to an area near Taiwan.

Trump said in a Nov. 2 interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes that Xi “understands the answer to that” when asked if US forces would come to the defense of Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. The US leader said the subject did not come up during their meeting last month.

The US and China are still negotiating key details over how Beijing will free up sales of rare earths, according to people familiar with the matter. The two nations aim to agree on terms for “general licenses” that China pledged to offer for US-bound exports of rare earths and critical minerals by month’s end.

Despite ongoing talks over the materials, which are critical to the manufacture of high-tech electronics, remaining in limbo, the US already moved to roll back tariffs and national security measures. Shortfalls in rare-earth supplies have left global industries including autos, consumer goods and robotics at risk of disruptions.

The discussion also comes as the Trump administration is again weighing whether to allow the sale of more advanced artificial intelligence chips to Beijing. Trump had floated the possibility before his October meeting with Xi, but ultimately the two leaders did not discuss the issue. Some Trump advisers have warned that potential sales risk ceding the US’s advantage in the emerging technology.

The president is hearing from “lots of different advisers” in deciding whether to approve future exports, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Monday in a Bloomberg Television interview.

“That kind of decision sits right on the desk of Donald Trump,” Lutnick said. “He will decide whether we go forward with that or not.”

Trump also said on Nov. 14 that the US was talking to the Chinese government about increasing purchases of American soybeans, another provision of the agreement. 

“They’re in the process of doing it,” Trump said. “We spoke to them today. They’re in the process. We’re doing not only a little bit, but they’ll be doing a lot of soybean purchase.”