President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on the phone Thursday morning, the first time the pair has had a conversation since Trump’s return to the White House.
“I just concluded a very good phone call with President Xi, of China, discussing some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. “The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries.”
The phone call, which China underscored in Xi’s readout was at Trump’s request, comes amid increasing tensions over Trump’s trade and tariff policy, as China retaliates with export controls on several rare earth minerals and magnets critical to the U.S.’s automotive, defense, and energy industries.
“There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products,” Trump wrote. “Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined. We will be represented by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer.”
Trump also wrote that Xi “graciously invited” he and first lady Melania Trump to visit China, an invitation with Trump reciprocated to Xi. The first couple traveled to China during their first administration, with Xi dining with them, too, at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
“As Presidents of two Great Nations, this is something that we both look forward to doing,” Trump wrote. “The conversation was focused almost entirely on TRADE. Nothing was discussed concerning Russia/Ukraine, or Iran. We will inform the Media as to scheduling and location of the soon to be meeting.”
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Against the backdrop of legal challenges to his trade policy, Trump decreased the 145% tariff rate on Chinese goods to 30% last month after the two countries sat down for negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland. China responded in kind by dropping its respective rate on U.S. goods from 125% to 10%.
Bessent previewed the prospect of the call last weekend after Trump himself told reporters he expected to speak with Xi last month.
This story is developing.
