On June 6, for the first time since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the presidents of the world’s two leading powers—China and the United States—held a phone call. The conversation lasted about an hour and a half, during which Xi Jinping and Donald Trump each emphasized issues most relevant to their domestic audiences.
In light of American accusations that China is violating the trade agreements that they had achieved in Geneva and amid growing global concern surrounding the issue—President Xi dedicated a significant portion of his remarks to trade. He claimed the agreements are acceptable not only to Chinese and American citizens but also to the international community. He added, perhaps as a jab at the Americanside, that China honors its commitments and therefore upholds the agreement.
President Xi also devoted a large part of the conversation to one of China’s declared “red lines”—Taiwan. He asserted that the United States must act cautiously on this matter and described supporters of Taiwan’s independence as a small fringe group that could drag the two powers into confrontation. This statement underscores China’s desire to draw a clear line, signaling that Beijing will not compromise on what it defines as a strictly internal matter.
The American president, for his part, sought to frame the call as focusing solely on trade. He went so far as to claim that concerns over China’s export restrictions on rare earth minerals were no longer relevant due to emerging agreements between China and the European Union. He also stated that the call did not include discussions of issues like the war in Ukraine or Iran. This suggests that Trump views the relationship primarily through an economic lens and prefers to keep global conflicts out of the dialogue—whether to reduce tensions or simply due to a lack of interest in Chinese involvement. At the same time, he expressed a desire to welcome Chinese students to the United States, despite pursuing policies that contradict that sentiment.
Despite the rhetorical gaps in their statements, both Xi and Trump clarified their mutual interest in cooperation between the two superpowers. Perhaps more significantly, unlike the tone of conversations between Xi and the Biden administration, there appears to be a warm personal rapport between the two leaders—reflected in their mutual invitations for official visits. This positive dynamic could help reduce tensions between the two countries.
ByGSpeech
On June 6, for the first time since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the presidents of the world’s two leading powers—China and the United States—held a phone call. The conversation lasted about an hour and a half, during which Xi Jinping and Donald Trump each emphasized issues most relevant to their domestic audiences.
In light of American accusations that China is violating the trade agreements that they had achieved in Geneva and amid growing global concern surrounding the issue—President Xi dedicated a significant portion of his remarks to trade. He claimed the agreements are acceptable not only to Chinese and American citizens but also to the international community. He added, perhaps as a jab at the Americanside, that China honors its commitments and therefore upholds the agreement.
President Xi also devoted a large part of the conversation to one of China’s declared “red lines”—Taiwan. He asserted that the United States must act cautiously on this matter and described supporters of Taiwan’s independence as a small fringe group that could drag the two powers into confrontation. This statement underscores China’s desire to draw a clear line, signaling that Beijing will not compromise on what it defines as a strictly internal matter.
The American president, for his part, sought to frame the call as focusing solely on trade. He went so far as to claim that concerns over China’s export restrictions on rare earth minerals were no longer relevant due to emerging agreements between China and the European Union. He also stated that the call did not include discussions of issues like the war in Ukraine or Iran. This suggests that Trump views the relationship primarily through an economic lens and prefers to keep global conflicts out of the dialogue—whether to reduce tensions or simply due to a lack of interest in Chinese involvement. At the same time, he expressed a desire to welcome Chinese students to the United States, despite pursuing policies that contradict that sentiment.
Despite the rhetorical gaps in their statements, both Xi and Trump clarified their mutual interest in cooperation between the two superpowers. Perhaps more significantly, unlike the tone of conversations between Xi and the Biden administration, there appears to be a warm personal rapport between the two leaders—reflected in their mutual invitations for official visits. This positive dynamic could help reduce tensions between the two countries.