In an unexpected and uncommon diplomatic maneuver by China, President Xi Jinping took the initiative to pick up the phone to start a call with his American counterpart Donald Trump. It is noteworthy who made the first call because these types of conversations between the leaders of the two main powers are usually arranged and announced beforehand, or the Chinese government often emphasizes that the call is made at the proposal of the other party.
The Chinese interpretation of the conversation, which took place on Monday night, mainly highlighted that Xi and Trump discussed Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing considers a separatist province and that Washington supports as its main international ally and arms supplier. In contrast, the U.S. president, summarizing his call with Xi on social media, did not mention the Taiwan issue.
Trump said they had discussed the war in Ukraine, tracking fentanyl trafficking (the synthetic opioid causing havoc in the United States and manufactured with chemical precursors from China), and Beijing's commitment to buy American agricultural products.
Both administrations did confirm that the Republican will visit the Asian country in April 2026. Trump added that he will host Xi for a State visit in Washington at the end of next year. "Our relationship with China is extremely solid!" declared Trump.
The call between the two most powerful men in the world took place while the global geopolitical focus is on the peace plan discussions to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, with the regime of Vladimir Putin rejecting the counterproposal promoted by European countries on said plan, which focuses more on respecting Kiev's full sovereignty.
"China supports all efforts committed to peace," stated the press release published by Beijing after the call. The Asian giant, which provides economic and diplomatic support to its Moscow ally, has presented itself since the Russian invasion in 2022 as a potential mediator in the conflict, although in reality, it has not taken any significant steps in that direction despite its enormous influence over Putin.
The fact that Xi and Trump also discussed Taiwan is significant at a time when China and Japan are going through one of their worst diplomatic crises in recent years after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hinted earlier this month that Tokyo could militarily intervene to protect Taipei in case of a Chinese attack.
"China and the United States fought together against fascism and militarism," Xi said during the conversation, referring to the "militarism" of imperial Japan. "The U.S. understands the importance Taiwan holds for China," Trump emphasized in a statement that Beijing has celebrated as an indirect statement that Washington opposes the formal independence of an island that operates de facto as an independent country.
"Taiwan's return to China is an important component of the post-war international order," Xi continued, following the historical parallel. It is noteworthy that, according to the Chinese side, the Taiwan issue was at the center of the conversation, considering that on October 31, during the first face-to-face meeting this year between Trump and Xi, there was not a single mention of this topic.
After that summit held in a room at a military base at the Busan airport in South Korea, there was much concern among Taiwanese officials after seeing Trump "marginalize" Taiwan once again. In recent months, Chinese spokespersons have reiterated that China does not renounce the use of force to take control of the island. However, the American president has stated on more than one occasion that as long as he is in office, Beijing will not invade Taiwan. What the Republican has not addressed, unlike his predecessor Joe Biden, is whether he would order a military intervention to defend Taipei in case of a Chinese military attack.
A few hours after speaking with Xi Jinping, Trump called the Japanese Takaichi. "I believe we were able to confirm the close cooperation between Japan and the United States," said the Japanese leader. "President Trump said I am a very good friend of his and that I could call him at any time," she added.
The American and the Japanese, who have been in office for just a month, met for the first time on the sidelines of a regional summit held in October in South Korea. Tokyo is a key military ally for Washington in the Asian region.
During the latest phone conversation that took place on Tuesday, Takaichi said that Trump provided details on "the current state of relations between the United States and China." This is an important note considering Beijing's current offensive against Tokyo due to Takaichi's comments regarding a possible military intervention in Taiwan.