Trump proposes China buy U.S. oil; Xi says arms sales to Taiwan must be handled prudently

Financial News, New York – Reporter Lee Byung-chul.On the 4th local time, U.S. President Donald Trump said he held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping and discussed a wide range of pending issues. President Xi also stated, "I attach great importance to China–U.S. relations," adding, "In the new year, I hope to steer the great ship of China–U.S. relations together with you, weather the storms, move forward in a stable way, and achieve more major and positive outcomes."
President Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social, "I just had a very excellent phone call with President Xi Jinping," noting that "the call was long and very in-depth."

President Trump said the topics discussed included trade, military issues, his planned visit to China in April, the Taiwan issue, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and Iran. He stressed in particular that "important subjects such as China’s purchase of U.S. oil and gas, China’s consideration of additional purchases of agricultural products, the supply of aircraft engines, and many other issues were discussed."
Regarding China’s purchases of U.S. soybeans, he explained that China agreed to increase its purchases to 20 million tons for the current season and pledged to buy 25 million tons in the next season.
President Trump went on to say, "Our relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, are very friendly, and we both recognize how important it is to maintain that." He added, "I believe that over the remaining three years of my term, we can achieve many positive results with President Xi and with China."

According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, President Xi said during the call that "both sides should, in line with the agreements already reached, strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, and expand practical cooperation." He proposed, "Let us address issues one by one, build trust step by step, and make 2026 a year in which the United States and China move toward mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win–win cooperation."
Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi’s remarks on Taiwan were given particular emphasis. Xi stated, "The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China–U.S. relations," adding, "Taiwan is part of China’s territory, and China will resolutely safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity and will never tolerate any attempt to split Taiwan from China." He went on to stress, "The United States must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with great prudence."
In response, President Trump said he "attaches importance to China’s concerns regarding the Taiwan issue" and "hopes to maintain communication with China and manage U.S.–China relations in a better and more stable manner during his term in office," according to Xinhua.
This phone call was the first in a little over two months since November 24 of last year. That earlier call took place about a month after the U.S.–China summit held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju.
pride@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Byung-chul Reporter