US President Donald Trump said trade officials from the United States and China will meet soon, though a location and date for the meeting are yet to be finalized.
Trump made the announcement following a 90-minute phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Describing the conversation as “very good,” Trump said the discussion focused “almost entirely” on trade and “resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries.”
The call, which took place at Trump’s request according to statements from Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese embassy in Washington, was the second between the two leaders this year.
🇨🇳🇺🇸Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday held phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the latter’s request.
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Thursday’s call marked only the second direct conversation between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping this year, the last taking place on January 17, shortly before Trump’s inauguration.
In the lead-up to the latest engagement, Trump struck a tone that mixed admiration with exasperation.
Posting on social media early Wednesday, he wrote: “I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!”
Details of the US-China meet
According to Trump, the US delegation to the upcoming meeting will include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
No further details were provided about the call or the planned talks. Trump stated that the conversation did not touch on other major geopolitical issues, including Russia, Ukraine, or Iran.
He also noted that President Xi extended an invitation for Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to visit China, which he said he “reciprocated.”
Trump added that the discussion addressed the issue of rare earth materials, saying, “There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products.”
Market reaction was mostly muted
US markets initially opened slightly higher Thursday amid optimism that the Trump-Xi dialogue could lead to progress in ongoing trade negotiations.
However, early gains faded as investors awaited concrete details from the call.
Trade tensions between the two countries remain unresolved. While both sides agreed to temporarily reduce tariffs after talks in Switzerland last month, the situation has deteriorated in recent weeks.
The Trump administration has accused Beijing of delaying its commitment to expand exports of critical minerals, an outcome of the Geneva discussions.
In turn, Chinese officials have criticized Washington’s decision to impose tighter restrictions on student visas and have taken issue with US advisories warning against the use of Chinese-made semiconductors, which they argue jeopardize recent diplomatic progress.
The US and China share a complex and heavily interdependent trade relationship, with bilateral trade totaling nearly $600 billion in 2024.
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