Trump Confirms China Visit In April After Call With Xi Highlighting ‘Extremely Good’ Ties; Discusses Trade, Taiwan
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, spoke about his call with Xi, confirmed his visit to China in April. Image courtesy: RNA
For the past few months, the United States and China have displayed a pretty evident rivalry over tariffs, trade, Taiwan, and what not. However, President Trump might now be looking to cool things down, at least his recent phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping signals so.
Trump on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) held a lengthy phone conversation with Chinese President Xi, even as Washington convened a high-level meeting of multiple countries on critical minerals, a move widely seen as aimed at reducing global dependence on China’s near-dominance in key supply chains.
There is no doubt that China has a dominant position when it comes to rare earths, critical minerals and to cut that down, the US recently held an inaugural ministerial on the same, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in attendance. This makes the Trump-Xi call timing even more notable.
What did Trump say about US-China relations?
In a post on Truth Social, Trump struck an unusually upbeat tone, describing his exchange with Xi as an “excellent” and “long and thorough” conversation covering a wide range of issues.
“The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one,” Trump said, adding that both leaders recognised the importance of maintaining stable ties. He also confirmed that he plans to visit China in April, saying he was “very much” looking forward to the trip.
Which issues dominated the Trump–Xi conversation?
According to Trump, the discussion spanned trade, military matters, Taiwan, the Russia–Ukraine war, Iran, and energy cooperation, including China’s potential purchase of US oil and gas.
Trump also said Xi discussed expanding Chinese purchases of US agricultural products, including increasing soybean imports to 20 million tonnes this season and 25 million tonnes next season, alongside talks on aircraft engine deliveries and other commercial issues.
How did Beijing frame the call?
China’s state-run China Daily reported that Xi told Trump he was ready to work together to guide China–US ties “through wind and waves” toward a stable future.
President Xi stressed that if both sides approach each other with equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, solutions could be found to address each other’s concerns, signalling Beijing’s preference for dialogue even amid strategic competition.
What did Xi say about Taiwan, the key flashpoint?
The Taiwan issue featured prominently in the conversation, with Xi describing it as the most important and sensitive issue in US–China relations. According to Chinese accounts, Xi told Trump that Taiwan would never be allowed to separate from China and urged Washington to handle arms sales to Taiwan with caution.
Calling it “the most important issue” in China-US relations, Xi is learnt to have told the US President that he must be “prudent” when supplying weapons to the island, adding that he attached “great importance” to ties with Washington.
How does this fit into wider geopolitical shifts?
The Trump-Xi call came just days after Xi held a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the two leaders discussed expanding high-level exchanges and strengthening pragmatic cooperation.
Xi also highlighted that China is entering the period of its 15th Five-Year Plan, pledging to further open up its economy and share development opportunities globally, remarks that underscore Beijing’s efforts to position itself as a stable partner amid global uncertainty.
