Xi Jinping tells Donald Trump Taiwan’s ‘return to China’ is core to post-war order: Report

Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump during a phone call on Monday (November 24) that Taiwan’s “return to mainland China” is a fundamental element of the post-World War II international order, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.

“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,” Xi was quoted as saying.

The remarks come as Beijing pushes back against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent suggestion that Japan’s military could intervene if China moved against the self-governed island Taiwan.

China views Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to assert control.

Xi urges ‘momentum’ in China–US ties

Beyond Taiwan, Xi told Trump that bilateral relations had “stabilised and improved” since their October 30 meeting in South Korea.

“The facts again show that cooperation benefits both sides while confrontation hurts both,” Xi said, adding that the leaders’ earlier meeting had “helped calibrate the course and inject momentum into the steady forward movement of the giant ship of China-US relations.”

He urged Washington to “maintain momentum in ties” and expand cooperation in key areas.

Trade back on agenda: Soybeans, Rare earths, tariffs

Chinese state media said trade featured in the conversation, though no new agreements were announced.

The discussion comes on the heels of a trade truce that saw Washington roll back tariffs by 10% and Beijing ease restrictions on rare earth exports. China has also resumed buying US soybeans — long a sticking point in negotiations.

Trump suggested last week that Beijing was preparing to increase purchases: “They’re in the process of doing it… they’ll be doing a lot of soybean purchase.”

Talks on rare earth export “general licenses” are continuing, with shortages this year disrupting global supply chains for industries ranging from automobiles to robotics.

The Trump administration is also again weighing whether to permit the sale of advanced US AI chips to China, though the topic was reportedly not discussed during the call.

Ukraine war: Xi reiterates backing for peace efforts

Xi and Trump also discussed the Russia-Ukraine war amid renewed diplomatic activity involving Washington, Kyiv and European partners.

China “supports all efforts conducive to peace,” Xi told Trump, urging all parties “to narrow their differences.”