Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump during a phone call on Monday that Taiwan’s “return to China” is a fundamental part of the post-war international order, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.
“China and the United States once fought side by side against fascism and militarism, and now they must work together to safeguard the results of the Second World War,” Xi said, according to Xinhua.
A White House official confirmed that Trump and Xi spoke by phone but did not provide details.
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China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of it, although the island’s government rejects Beijing’s claim and says only the people of Taiwan can decide its future.
China is embroiled in its biggest diplomatic crisis in years with Japan, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said this month that a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically-ruled Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
Xi and Trump met in South Korea on October 30 after months of trade tensions triggered by Trump’s tariff policies.
China has since resumed purchases of US soybeans and lifted its expanded restrictions on rare earths exports, while the US has reduced tariffs on China by 10%.
Xi said ties between China and the US have stabilized and improved since the meeting.
“The facts show again that cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,” he told Trump, calling on the two countries to maintain positive momentum and expand cooperation.
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The two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, with Xi reiterating that China supports all efforts leading to peace while calling on all parties to narrow their differences.
