U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call less than a month after the U.S.-China summit in Busan on the 30th of last month. Xi called Trump first. That is rare in Chinese diplomatic protocol. Xi invited Trump to Beijing in April next year, and Trump accepted. The two leaders were also said to have discussed the Taiwan issue and ways to end the war in Ukraine.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency and foreign media including the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Politico, Xi focused on the Taiwan issue in a phone call with Trump on the 24th local time. Xi stressed that "Taiwan's return to China is an important part of the postwar (post-World War II) international order."
Major outlets noted that Xi mentioned the "anti-fascist struggle" during World War II in the call. Xi said, "China and the United States fought shoulder to shoulder against fascism and militarism," adding, "The two countries should jointly safeguard the gains of victory in World War II." Experts said this remark was not a mere historical recollection. It is interpreted as sophisticated diplomatic rhetoric reminding that Japan was a war criminal state, aimed at Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who recently said that the Self-Defense Forces could intervene in the event of a Taiwan contingency.
Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi said earlier this month that "a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo (Japan)." China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately protested, saying she had "crossed a red line that must not be touched." That is the context for Xi invoking the "postwar order" and "militarism" in his conversation with Trump. The aim is to drive a wedge so the United States cannot side with Japan.
Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank, said, "The very fact that he called first is proof that China's concerns are serious," and analyzed, "The parts mentioning Taiwan and the postwar order directly point to the conflict with Japan over the Taiwan issue."
Trump responded to Xi's remarks by saying, "The United States understands how important the Taiwan issue is to China." Xinhua reported that Trump said "China played an important role in the victory of World War II," but the White House did not release specific remarks.
The previous Biden administration pledged to defend Taiwan in a crisis. Trump differs from former President Joe Biden. The Trump administration consistently maintained strategic ambiguity over whether U.S. troops would be deployed in a Taiwan Strait crisis. However, the Trump administration recently approved a $330 million (about 460 billion won) arms sale to Taiwan, urging Taiwan to strengthen its own defenses. China strongly criticized this as a "violation of the One China principle."
Evan Medeiros, a Georgetown University professor, said, "It is highly unusual that Xi made the call first, and that means Xi believes there is an opportunity to change Trump's mind."
The war in Ukraine was also a key agenda item. Xi said, "China supports all efforts conducive to peace," and added, "We hope the parties to the conflict will narrow differences and reach a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement."
The remarks came shortly after the United States and Ukraine discussed a "peace framework" for ending the war in Geneva, Switzerland. China has faced Western criticism for providing diplomatic and economic support to Russia. As Trump, after taking office, pushes for an early end to the war in Ukraine, China is also seen as moving to secure equity as a mediator.
There was also a warm breeze on trade. The two leaders reviewed implementation of the "one-year tariff truce" agreed at the Busan summit last month. Since the Busan meeting, China has resumed purchases of U.S. soybeans, halted exports of chemical precursors used to make fentanyl, and eased controls on rare-earth exports. In response, the United States cut tariffs on China by 10%.
After the call, Trump wrote on social media Truth Social, "I discussed fentanyl and agricultural products such as soybeans with Xi," adding, "We secured a great deal for our farmers, and things will get even better." He said, "Relations with China are extremely strong."
Another outcome of the call was an agreement on reciprocal visits by the leaders. Trump accepted Xi's invitation and will visit Beijing in April next year. Xi is also set to make a state visit to the United States in the second half of next year at Trump's suggestion. Xi's visit to the United States would be the first since the U.S.-China summit in San Francisco in 2023.
Xi said, "When China and the United States cooperate, both benefit (合則兩利), and when they fight, both are hurt (鬪則俱傷)," adding, "We should expand the list of cooperation and reduce the list of problems." It signaled a willingness to carry forward the thaw that formed after the Busan meeting. Trump also said they "agreed that it is important to communicate frequently."
However, experts said it is too early to be optimistic. U.S. administration officials worried that China could scrap the agreement at any time. Hard-line voices on China within the Trump administration also persist. The triangular tensions among the United States, China and Japan over Taiwan, and the process of fine-tuning a Ukraine peace agreement, still carry the risk that the two countries' interests will collide. Given these points, the prevailing view is that Xi's unusual call was a preemptive move to check the growing U.S.-Japan alignment.