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Tuesday, Nov 25, 2025
Outside the box.
Trump Accepts Xi’s Invitation for Beijing Visit as US-China Diplomacy Enters New Phase
President Donald Trump will travel to China in April 2026 following a wide-ranging call with President Xi Jinping that also addressed Ukraine and trade
President Donald Trump on Monday announced that he has accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Beijing in April 2026 and extended a reciprocal state-visit invitation to Xi for later in the year.
The exchange followed a phone call between the two leaders in which they discussed issues including the war in Ukraine, fentanyl trafficking and U.S. soybean purchases.
In a post on his social-media platform Truth Social, Trump characterised the call as “very good” and said the United States-China relationship is “extremely strong.” He did not reference Taiwan in his remarks, though Chinese official sources reported that Xi had raised the issue, calling Taiwan’s “return to China” integral to the post-war international order.
The diplomatic move comes after the two leaders held a face-to-face meeting in Busan, South Korea, three weeks earlier and followed a one-year trade truce negotiated between the world’s biggest economies.
Among the bilateral agreements cited: China’s pledge to resume U.S. soybean purchases and to address chemical precursor exports linked to fentanyl manufacturing; the U.S. and China are also exploring expansion of co-operation on critical minerals and artificial-intelligence supply chains.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the call as productive and said the administration remains committed to engaging with both sides equally in the Ukraine conflict.
“Everybody inside feels optimistic about what trans-pired yesterday in Geneva,” she said, referring to earlier U.S.-Ukraine dialogue.
On the China matter, she reiterated that no travel announcement has yet been scheduled.
Analysts note the planned visits mark the most significant diplomatic opening between Washington and Beijing since early in Trump’s second term and could signal a stabilisation in a relationship often defined by rivalry.
Still, unresolved issues remain.
Chinese officials said Xi stressed Taiwan and warned Japan over recent comments on the matter, while U.S. officials pointed to continuing tensions over export controls and rare-earth supply chains.
For Trump, the visit offers the opportunity to showcase leadership in a strategic pivot toward engagement and to bolster U.S. farm interests through renewed access to China’s market.
The invitation sets the stage for a full year of high-stakes diplomacy ahead of the 2026 electoral cycle in the United States.
The exchange followed a phone call between the two leaders in which they discussed issues including the war in Ukraine, fentanyl trafficking and U.S. soybean purchases.
In a post on his social-media platform Truth Social, Trump characterised the call as “very good” and said the United States-China relationship is “extremely strong.” He did not reference Taiwan in his remarks, though Chinese official sources reported that Xi had raised the issue, calling Taiwan’s “return to China” integral to the post-war international order.
The diplomatic move comes after the two leaders held a face-to-face meeting in Busan, South Korea, three weeks earlier and followed a one-year trade truce negotiated between the world’s biggest economies.
Among the bilateral agreements cited: China’s pledge to resume U.S. soybean purchases and to address chemical precursor exports linked to fentanyl manufacturing; the U.S. and China are also exploring expansion of co-operation on critical minerals and artificial-intelligence supply chains.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the call as productive and said the administration remains committed to engaging with both sides equally in the Ukraine conflict.
“Everybody inside feels optimistic about what trans-pired yesterday in Geneva,” she said, referring to earlier U.S.-Ukraine dialogue.
On the China matter, she reiterated that no travel announcement has yet been scheduled.
Analysts note the planned visits mark the most significant diplomatic opening between Washington and Beijing since early in Trump’s second term and could signal a stabilisation in a relationship often defined by rivalry.
Still, unresolved issues remain.
Chinese officials said Xi stressed Taiwan and warned Japan over recent comments on the matter, while U.S. officials pointed to continuing tensions over export controls and rare-earth supply chains.
For Trump, the visit offers the opportunity to showcase leadership in a strategic pivot toward engagement and to bolster U.S. farm interests through renewed access to China’s market.
The invitation sets the stage for a full year of high-stakes diplomacy ahead of the 2026 electoral cycle in the United States.
