US President Donald Trump has confirmed a “very good conversation” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking a potential thaw in recent trade tensions between the two global powers. The call, which lasted one and a half hours, focused almost exclusively on finalizing complex aspects of the US-China trade agreement, particularly concerning rare earth elements and magnets.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said,
“We’ve straightened out any complexity. It’s very complex stuff, and we straighten it out.”
Trump revealed that both leaders have extended mutual invitations for state visits, with Trump accepting Xi’s invite to visit China alongside the First Lady, and Xi accepting a reciprocal invitation to visit the US.
Delegations to Meet
Trump noted that discussions would continue through high-level bilateral meetings involving key US officials:
- Scott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury
- Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce
- Ambassador Jamieson Greer, US Trade Representative
These officials will meet with top Chinese counterparts at a soon-to-be-determined location.
“I think we’re in very good shape with China and the trade deal,” Trump reiterated, stating that reduced trade tariffs will remain in effect for now.
Social Media Confirmation
On Truth Social, Trump elaborated further:
“There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of rare earth products. Our respective teams will be meeting shortly… The conversation was focused almost entirely on TRADE.”
He emphasized that issues such as Russia-Ukraine or Iran were not discussed.
Background Tensions
The dialogue comes shortly after Trump accused China of violating a deal negotiated last month in Geneva, which had agreed to a 90-day rollback of reciprocal tariffs. While China denied the accusations and accused Washington of provoking new economic tensions, Trump claimed the original deal was meant to prevent economic collapse in China.
“We went cold turkey with China, and it was devastating for them… I made a fast deal with China to save them,” Trump wrote online.
Geneva Trade Talks Recap
Earlier in May, US and Chinese negotiators, led by Scott Bessent and Ambassador Greer, had described the Geneva talks as “substantially productive.” Both sides agreed to withdraw some tariffs temporarily and emphasized a sustainable, mutually beneficial economic relationship.
As Trump pushes ahead with high-level diplomacy, analysts view this renewed contact as a cautious but strategic effort to stabilize economic ties before further disruptions occur in the global trade order.