Trump strikes a conciliatory note with Merz and Xi amid trade tensions
The US president meets with the German chancellor and speaks by phone with his Chinese counterpart.
WashingtonThe United States continues its efforts to de-escalate the trade war it sparked with China. Donald Trump spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Thursday. According to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, the conversation took place at Trump's request. The US president had been insisting for weeks that he wanted to speak with Xi to negotiate trade relations between the two countries. "The call lasted approximately an hour and a half and resulted in very positive conclusions for both countries," he said.
Separately, Trump also received German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office on Thursday. The conservative leader, who came to power after winning the February elections, insisted to the US president on the need to pressure Russia to reach a ceasefire. "President, I'm here to discuss this with you later, to contribute to that goal [of ending the conflict]. And we're all looking for measures and instruments to bring this terrible war to an end," Merz told a Trump who was receptive to his requests.
The German chancellor gave the US president a birth certificate of his paternal grandfather, Frederick Trump, who was born in 1869 in present-day Germany and emigrated to the United States at just 16 in search of better opportunities. Trump listened attentively to Merz's explanations, but continued to favor Russia in his narrative of the war. When he spoke about the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Moscow, he also suggested imposing them on Kiev: "It could be for both countries, frankly." In fact, Trump compared the war between Russia and Ukraine to a fight between "children" or "a hockey game." "They don't want to be separated. Sometimes it's better to let them fight for a while and then separate them," he summed up, once again ignoring the fact that Moscow started the war by invading the neighboring country.
The conversation with Xi Jinping
Regarding the call with Xi Jinping, Trump said in a post on Truth Social: "During our conversation, President Xi was kind enough to invite the First Lady and me to visit China, and I reciprocated. As presidents of two great nations, this is something we both look forward to. We discussed nothing related to Russia, Ukraine, or Iran," Trump said. The Chinese side has not commented on the invitation to visit the country.
The US president assured that "soon" the negotiating teams that met in Switzerland in early May will meet again. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will participate again as representatives of the US side. Washington has been imposing tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese imports, and Beijing has imposed levies of 125% on US imports. On the eve of the meeting, Trump stipulated a series of demands and concessions, including the possibility of reducing tariffs from 145% to 80%.
From Beijing, Xi has noted that correcting the course of the current relationship between the United States and China requires "a steady hand and clear direction, especially by eliminating interference and sabotage," according to Chinese television. "The United States should objectively assess progress and lift the negative measures imposed on China. Both sides should intensify exchanges in diplomacy, trade and economics, military affairs and law enforcement, so as to increase mutual understanding, reduce misunderstandings, and strengthen cooperation."
Taiwan's powder keg
Despite Trump's assurances that the conversation focused solely on trade, according to Chinese media, Xi told his counterpart that the United States must address the situation on the island of Taiwan "prudently and avoid allowing the small number of separatists seeking independence" on the island. The Chinese president added that these groups could "drag both countries into a dangerous situation of conflict and confrontation." China's annexation aspirations regarding Taiwan have become a tinderbox in the region, where tensions have only risen in recent years.
During Joe Biden's previous presidency, Washington already increased its military presence in the area, while China has been advancing positions.in the South China Sea by building artificial islands. Xi has already made explicit his intention to occupy Taiwan, and in 2023, US intelligence warned that Beijing had told the military to be "prepared by 2027" to launch an operation on the island, although there are doubts about the likelihood of an attack.
According to Chinese television, beyond the positive assessments of the call and the meetings between the two delegations, Xi has said that the US "welcomes Chinese students to study" in the country. This statement contrasts with the recent restrictions on student visas. Last week, the State Department also announced that it would revoke visas for Chinese students.