Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump about the self-governing island of Taiwan. This was reported by the Chinese state news agency "Xinhua", according to UNN.
Details
Xi Jinping told Trump that Taiwan's return to China is a key element of the post-World War II international order, the news agency reported.
According to Bloomberg, the call came after the world's two largest economies reached a trade truce last month, which saw Washington lower tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing lift some restrictions on rare earth exports. However, relations have been undermined by new tensions between China and Japan, a key US ally in the region.
On November 14, Trump said the US was in talks with the Chinese government about increasing purchases of American soybeans, another provision of the deal.
"They are in the process," Trump said. We spoke with them today. They are in the process. We are not just buying a little, but they will buy a lot of soybeans.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the US and China are still discussing key details of how Beijing will regulate the sale of rare earth metals. Both countries intend to agree by the end of the month on the terms of "general licenses" that China has pledged to provide for the export of rare earth metals and critical minerals to the US.
Although negotiations on these materials, critical for the production of high-tech electronics, remain in limbo, the US has already taken steps to reduce tariffs and national security measures. Shortages of rare earth metals this year have threatened production disruptions in global industries such as automotive, consumer goods, and robotics.
The discussion also comes as the Trump administration is again considering allowing the sale of more advanced artificial intelligence chips to Beijing. Trump raised this possibility even before his October meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea, but ultimately the two leaders did not discuss the issue. Some of Trump's advisers warned that the deal risked losing US advantages in new technologies.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Monday that the president listens to "a lot of different advisors" when making decisions about potential exports.
"This kind of decision is directly on Donald Trump's desk," Lutnick said. "He will decide whether we move forward with this project or not."
China lodges official protest with US over arms sale to Taiwan17.11.25, 16:36 • [views_2880]