Chinese President Xi Jinping has reportedly told US President Donald Trump that Taiwan’s “return to China” is a key part of the post-war international order.
“China and the United States once fought side by side against fascism and militarism, and should now work together to safeguard the outcomes of World War Two,” Mr Xi was quoted as saying by Xinhua, the Chinese state-run media outlet.
A White House official confirmed Mr Trump and Mr Xi had spoken by phone but gave no details.
China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of it, though the island’s government rejects Beijing’s claim and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
The China-Japan diplomatic row
China is locked in its biggest diplomatic crisis for years with Japan, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said this month a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
Following the phone call, Mr Trump posted on social media that he had accepted the Chinese leader’s invitation to visit in April next year.
He also announced he had invited Mr Xi to Washington, an invite the Chinese president reportedly accepted.
Mr Xi and Mr Trump met in South Korea in October following months of trade tensions triggered by Trump’s tariff policies.
China has since resumed purchases of US soybeans and halted its expanded curbs on rare earths exports, while the US lowered tariffs on China by 10 per cent.
Mr Xi said that China-US ties have stabilised and improved since their meeting.
“The facts again show that cooperation benefits both sides while confrontation hurts both,” he told Mr Trump, urging the two countries to maintain positive momentum and expand cooperation.
The two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, with Mr Xi reiterating that China supports all efforts conducive to peace while calling on all parties to narrow their differences.
Trade was also discussed, but the Chinese statement did not reveal any concrete agreements.
Reuters