President Donald Trump has confirmed his visit to Beijing in April and has also invited Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit later next year, following a phone call between the two leaders.
Trump and Xi, who met nearly a month ago in South Korea, discussed a range of issues, including trade, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, fentanyl and Taiwan, according to the president and China’s foreign ministry.
“Our relationship with China is extremely strong!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
China’s state news agency released a statement that said both countries should “keep up the momentum and keep moving forward in the right direction based on equality, respect and mutual benefit”.
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The leaders met in Busan, South Korea, in October, after which they agreed to a truce on tariffs. The US decided to cut a 20% tariff in half, aimed at decreasing the flow of fentanyl.
Tariffs remain on Chinese goods and average just below 50%.
“Since then, the China-US relationship has generally maintained a steady and positive trajectory, and this is welcomed by the two countries and the broader international community,” the Chinese statement said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Monday call with Xi, which lasted about an hour, was focused on trade.
“We are pleased with what we’ve seen from the Chinese, and they feel the same way,” she said.
BBC/Wumi