Trump, Xi spoke on phone to discuss trade, Taiwan and Ukraine

Washington: President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone on Monday to discuss trade, Taiwan and Ukraine, according to the White House and Chinese officials.

Xi told Trump in a phone call Monday that Taiwan’s return to mainland China is “an important part of the post-war international order,” according to China’s official news agency Xinhua.

A White House official confirmed that the call happened on Monday morning but offered no details of the call.

The conversation came after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently said Japan’s military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing says must come under its rule.

Xi in the phone call said China and the US, which fought together during the war, should “jointly safeguard the victorious outcome of World War II.”

The two leaders also discussed trade, but the Chinese statement did not reveal any concrete agreements on matters such as purchases of American soybeans.