Trump Hails "Extremely Strong" U.S.–China Ties After Unannounced Call With Xi. President Donald Trump praised U.S.–China relations as "extremely strong" after an unannounced phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The conversation came just weeks after their meeting in South Korea, where both sides outlined a still-pending framework for a new trade deal. According to China's readout, Xi stressed that Taiwan's "return to China" remains central to Beijing's post-World War II vision and urged Washington to work with China to safeguard global stability. Taiwan was not mentioned in Trump's statement. Instead, he called the exchange "very good," saying they discussed Ukraine, fentanyl, and U.S. agricultural products. Trump also accepted Xi's invitation to visit Beijing in April and invited Xi for a U.S. state visit later this year. Both countries highlighted progress since their South Korea meeting: the U.S. reduced tariffs, China resumed soybean purchases, and Beijing paused expanded restrictions on rare earth exports. Xi said ties have "stabilized and improved," emphasizing that cooperation benefits both sides. Japan surfaced only briefly in the background of regional tensions, but it did not play a significant role in the leaders' call.