Trump-Xi phone call: Xi asserts China's claim to Taiwan, Trump reaffirms 'extremely strong' relationship

A number of key issues were raised during the Nov. 24 phone call between China president Xi Jinping and U.S. president Donald Trump.

Among them were Xi's reiteration of China's claims to Taiwan amidst an ongoing spat with Japan, as well as the fragile trade truce between the U.S. and China.

According to Trump, the call also saw both leaders agreeing to meet in Beijing in April 2026.

Claims to Taiwan

According to Chinese state media Xinhua, Xi stressed China's fundamental position that Taiwan is an inextricable part of the country.

He reportedly told Trump that the island's return to China is an "integral part of the postwar international order", citing China and the U.S.'s alliance in fighting fascism and militarism in the Second World War.

Both countries ought to jointly safeguard the victorious outcome of the war, he reportedly said.

Xi's comments come amidst the biggest spat between China and Japan in years, after Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi remarked that Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

Takaichi and Trump also later discussed his call with Xi, as well as Japan-U.S. relations, she said on Nov. 25, reported The Guardian.

Other issues discussed during the phone call between Trump and Xi include the state of Ukraine amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, as well as the fragile state of U.S.-China trade relations, China's foreign ministry said.

Both leaders met in South Korea on Oct. 30 ahead of the APEC Summit, where the U.S. agreed not to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports while China agreed to hold off on an export licensing regime for crucial rare earths minerals and magnets.

"Extremely strong" relationship

Interestingly, Trump made no mention of Xi's sentiments on Taiwan in a Truth Social post following the meeting, instead hailing the "extremely strong" relationship between both countries.

"Our relationship with China is extremely strong! This call was a follow up to our highly successful meeting in South Korea, three weeks ago," he said.

He added that he has accepted an invitation by Xi to visit Beijing in April 2026, while reciprocally inviting Xi for a state visit to the U.S. later in the year.

This was not mentioned by Beijing in its statement.

Top image via Reuters