Xi Jinping Holds Phone Talks with Donald Trump Ahead of Expected China Visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported, as preparations continue for Trump’s expected visit to China in April.

This was the first direct contact between the two leaders since a phone call in late November. Following that conversation, Trump had described US-China relations as “very strong.”

The phone call came just hours after Xi spoke separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a video call. After that discussion, the Kremlin confirmed that Putin had accepted Xi’s invitation to visit China in the first half of the year.

Relations between Washington and Beijing had remained strained for several months following trade tensions triggered by tariffs imposed by Trump last year. However, the situation began to ease after the two leaders met on the sidelines of talks held in South Korea in October.

During that meeting, both sides agreed to a preliminary truce in the ongoing trade dispute, helping stabilize ties between the world’s two largest economies.