US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov 24 held their first talks since agreeing to a tariff truce in October, discussing trade, Taiwan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Trump said the telephone call was “very good” and that the leaders spoke about purchases of soybeans and other farm products as well as curbing shipments of illegal fentanyl. The US president said he agreed to visit Beijing in April, and that he had invited Mr Xi for a state visit in 2026.

“Our relationship with China is extremely strong!” Mr Trump posted on social media. “There has been significant progress on both sides in keeping our agreements current and accurate. Now we can set our sights on the big picture.”

Mr Xi told Mr Trump that the return of Taiwan to China is a key part of the post-World War II international order, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement. The Chinese leader also said the two countries should keep the positive momentum

in South Korea and expand cooperation, the statement said.

The leaders also spoke about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Mr Xi expressed hope for the two sides to reach a binding peace agreement, the ministry said.

An ongoing row between Japan and China  centered around Taiwan threatens to inject fresh tensions into the Trump-Xi relationship and complicate ties, after the world’s two largest economies reached their trade truce in October. Japan is a key US ally in Asia.

That deal saw Washington lower fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing agree to remove certain restrictions on the export of rare earths. Any flare-up between the US and China could cause further uncertainty for markets and business leaders.