Trump: The conversation with Xi was excellent and long. We talked about Taiwan and the war in Ukraine
Chinese leader Xi Jinping emphasized on Wednesday during a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump that Taiwan remains the “most important issue” in the relations between the two powers. The contact came just hours after Xi's virtual meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Xi, quoted in the Chinese Foreign Ministry note, stated that Beijing must defend its sovereignty and “will never allow the island to secede.” He called on Washington to “absolutely exercise the utmost caution regarding arms sales” to Taiwan.
Referring to a broader perspective, Xi used a sailing metaphor. He expressed his willingness to join Trump in “guiding the great ship of China-US relations through the winds and waves,” which signals the instability of the relationship.
The conversation also included a veiled warning that the Chinese side “keeps its words and is decisive in its actions.” Xi appealed, recalling the classic maxim, “never neglect to do good, no matter how small, and do no evil, no matter how trivial,” and thus build mutual trust step by step.
At the same time, the Chinese leader emphasized that the key to resolving disputes is “mutual respect and equality.” He drew attention to important events planned for 2026, including the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the USA and the G20 and Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) summits, which – as he noted – should become an opportunity to tighten cooperation.
According to a Chinese statement, Trump called relations with China “the most important in the world” and assured that he appreciated Beijing's concerns about Taiwan and wanted to maintain stability during his term.
In turn, Trump himself, reporting on the conversation in an entry posted on his Truth Social social networking site, pointed out that the conversation also concerned the war in Ukraine and the situation around Iran. The Chinese side did not mention these issues.
The conversation took place at a time of relative calming in contacts after last year's trade tensions, which were initially resolved during the October leaders' meeting in South Korea.
A few hours earlier, Xi held a video call with Putin, during which the two leaders agreed that the international situation is becoming “increasingly turbulent” and that China and Russia must work together to safeguard “global strategic stability.” The Kremlin confirmed that it had been warned about the contact between Beijing and Washington.
The United States, like most countries in the world, does not maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but sells it weapons, which the People's Republic of China regularly protests against. The communist authorities in Beijing recognize democratically ruled Taiwan as an inseparable part of China and seek to take control over it, without ruling out the possibility of using force.
From Beijing Krzysztof Pawliszak (PAP)
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