U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a long-anticipated phone call on Thursday as both leaders sought to ease rising trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump described the conversation as “very positive,” stating that both sides agreed to meet in person soon. However, China’s official statement took a more reserved tone, with Xi emphasizing the need to “correct the course” of U.S.-China relations.
The 90-minute call was the first confirmed communication between the two leaders since Trump returned to office in January. It followed mutual accusations over the breakdown of a recent trade truce reached last month in Geneva.
Trump, posting on Truth Social, said trade teams from both countries would meet again soon, and that he and First Lady Melania Trump had been invited to China—an invitation he said he accepted.
The focus of the conversation, according to Trump, was primarily on trade. He mentioned progress on issues like rare earth minerals but noted that topics such as Russia’s war in Ukraine were not discussed.
The backdrop to the call has been a volatile trade relationship, with Trump earlier imposing steep tariffs on Chinese goods—some as high as 145%—and China responding with retaliatory measures. Despite Trump’s recent criticism of Xi, calling him “extremely hard to make a deal with,” he reiterated his respect for the Chinese leader.
China’s state media said Xi highlighted the importance of overcoming interference in the bilateral relationship and guiding it in the right direction. Xi also extended a renewed invitation for Trump to visit China, referencing the former president’s trip during his first term in 2017.
Although Trump previously claimed that Xi had called him earlier this year, Beijing denied any such contact. Thursday’s call was the first officially acknowledged communication in over five months.
Tensions escalated recently after the U.S. accused China of violating the Geneva trade agreement. In response, China condemned U.S. actions, including visa restrictions on Chinese students. The situation was further inflamed by Trump’s renewed tariff hikes on other trade partners, including the European Union.
Despite the uncertainties, both leaders signaled an openness to dialogue—leaving the door ajar for further negotiations in the months ahead.
