U.S. President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping has “more or less agreed” to step up purchases of American goods, following what both governments described as a constructive and friendly phone conversation on Monday.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday evening, Trump said he asked Xi during the call to “buy it a little faster” and to increase the volume of U.S. products purchased by China.
“I think we will be pleasantly surprised by the actions of President Xi,” Trump said. “I’d like you to buy more. And he’s more or less agreed to do that.”
The comments come amid signs of easing trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies. Last month, Beijing announced that it would resume purchases of U.S. soybeans and suspend expanded rare-earth export restrictions targeting the United States.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said China had pledged to buy 12 million metric tonnes of soybeans from American farmers this year. However, Reuters has reported that Chinese orders so far—nearly two million tonnes, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data—are lagging behind initial expectations.
Post-Summit Momentum:
Monday’s call follows a meeting between Trump and Xi in South Korea several weeks ago, during which the two leaders agreed on a framework for a trade deal that has yet to be finalized.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said Xi stressed historical cooperation between the two nations, noting that “China and the United States once fought side by side against fascism and militarism, and should now work together to safeguard the outcomes of World War II.”
Xi also reiterated China’s long-held position that Taiwan’s return to the mainland is part of the post-war international order. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control.
The United States, while maintaining a policy of strategic ambiguity, is obligated under domestic law to provide Taiwan with defensive weaponry. Trump has not committed to sending U.S. troops in the event of a conflict, but his administration has urged Taipei to boost its defense spending.
Trump: Call Was “Very Good”
Trump did not mention Xi’s comments on Taiwan in a subsequent post on Truth Social. Instead, he described the call as “very good” and said the conversation touched on multiple issues including Ukraine, fentanyl trafficking, and U.S. agricultural products.
“Our relationship with China is extremely strong,” Trump wrote. He added that both sides had made “significant progress” since their meeting in South Korea three weeks earlier.
Trump said he accepted Xi’s invitation to visit Beijing in April and extended an invitation for Xi to make a state visit to the United States later in the year.
China’s foreign ministry confirmed that Washington initiated the call and echoed the positive tone, with spokesperson Mao Ning calling it “positive, friendly and constructive.”
Mao added that communication between the two leaders is “crucial for the stable development of China-U.S. relations.”
