Chinese President Xi Jinping has reiterated Beijing’s uncompromising stance on Taiwan during a phone call with United States President Donald Trump, underscoring the island’s centrality to China’s foreign policy amid mounting regional tensions.
According to China’s foreign ministry, Xi told Trump on Monday that Taiwan’s “return” to China was an integral part of the post-war international order, forged in the joint struggle of China and the United States against fascism and militarism. Beijing insists Taiwan is part of its territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary. Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects this position outright, maintaining that the island is a sovereign state.
The conversation between the two leaders touched on several issues, including the war in Ukraine and ongoing trade disputes. Yet Taiwan featured prominently, reflecting the growing strain in East Asia. China is currently embroiled in a diplomatic row with Japan, a key US ally, after Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, suggested Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan. The remarks prompted Beijing to restrict tourism to Japan, ban Japanese seafood imports, and cancel joint cultural events.
On Tuesday, Takaichi confirmed she had also spoken with Trump, discussing his call with Xi and broader US-Japan relations. She described the exchange as wide-ranging, covering the strengthening of the alliance and challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. She noted that Trump had proposed the conversation.
The United States does not formally recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington remains its most important partner and arms supplier.
Trump, however, avoided mentioning Taiwan in his post on Truth Social about the call, instead praising what he described as “extremely strong” US-China relations. China’s foreign ministry claimed Trump acknowledged the importance of the Taiwan issue to Beijing during the discussion.
Taiwan’s premier, Cho Jung-tai, responded firmly on Tuesday, declaring that “return” to China was not an option for the island’s 23 million people. “We must once again emphasise that the Republic of China, Taiwan, is a fully sovereign and independent country,” he told reporters outside parliament. “For the 23 million people of our nation, ‘return’ is not an option, this is very clear.”
The call also confirmed plans for reciprocal state visits: Trump will travel to China in April, while Xi is expected to visit Washington in 2026. Beijing has yet to comment on the proposed visits.
The conversation followed the leaders’ meeting in South Korea in late October, their first encounter since 2019. That summit focused on trade disputes between the world’s two largest economies, which have disrupted global markets and supply chains. A tentative deal reached at the meeting saw Beijing agree to suspend certain export restrictions on critical minerals for one year. China dominates the mining and processing of rare earths, which are vital for advanced electronics, automotive components, and defence industries.
In return, the United States pledged to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods, while Beijing committed to purchasing at least 12 million metric tons of American soya beans by the end of this year, rising to 25 million metric tons in 2026.
Xi told Trump during Monday’s call that both sides should “keep up the momentum”, describing the South Korea meeting as having “recalibrated the course of the giant ship of China-US relations”. He said ties had since maintained a “steady and positive trajectory”, welcomed by both countries and the wider international community. Trump echoed this optimism, calling the call a follow-up to their “highly successful” meeting and noting progress in keeping agreements current.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated Washington hopes to finalise a deal with Beijing on securing rare earth supplies by Thanksgiving.
The leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, a priority for Trump as he seeks an end to the nearly four-year conflict. Xi reiterated China’s support for efforts to bring the war to a close, maintaining Beijing’s position as a self-styled neutral party.
The exchanges highlight the delicate balance in US-China relations: cooperation on trade and global issues, set against deep divisions over Taiwan and regional security.
