US President Donald Trump on Thursday held a lengthy and “very good” phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, according to a Truth Social post by Trump. The call comes amid renewed trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
The 90-minute conversation was initiated by Trump, as confirmed by China’s state-run news agency Xinhua. While the agency did not elaborate on the specifics of the discussion, Trump offered a detailed account on Truth Social shortly after the call concluded.
“I just concluded a very good phone call with President Xi, of China, discussing some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal,” Trump wrote. “The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries.”
Trump said the conversation focused “almost entirely on TRADE” and clarified that issues such as Russia/Ukraine or Iran were not discussed. A key outcome of the call was an apparent resolution of questions surrounding the complexity of rare earth products, a topic that has become central to escalating trade disputes in recent weeks.
“There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products,” Trump added.
The US and China had earlier struck a 90-day agreement on May 12 to roll back certain tariffs imposed during the ongoing trade war that reignited after Trump’s January return to the White House. However, tension over critical minerals—including rare earth elements essential to high-tech manufacturing—has persisted, threatening to upend the fragile truce.
Trump also announced that teams from both countries would meet soon, at a yet-to-be-determined location, to work out further trade arrangements. Representing the US will be Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
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“President Xi graciously invited the First Lady and me to visit China, and I reciprocated,” Trump noted, calling it a gesture he looks forward to fulfilling.
The White House has not yet released an official statement regarding the phone call, but Trump’s post suggests a renewed momentum in US-China negotiations, particularly on trade and rare earths.
(With inputs from Reuters)