Trump, Xi discuss Iran, Taiwan and trade in wide-ranging phone call

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he held a “long and thorough” phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which the two leaders discussed Iran, trade ties, Taiwan and broader global issues amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

The call comes amid renewed diplomatic engagement between China and Western nations, with leaders such as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visiting Beijing in recent months in an effort to reset strained ties.

Trump said the conversation covered the situation in Iran as Washington pushes Beijing and other countries to further isolate Tehran. The US president is weighing military options against Iran and pressing it to make concessions on its nuclear programme. “The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realise how important it is to keep it that way,” Trump said in a social media post describing the call.

In its readout, the Chinese government said the two leaders discussed major international summits both countries will host in the coming year, which could provide opportunities for them to meet. Trump said the call also touched upon Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s purchases of US oil and gas, and overall US-China trade ties, including Beijing’s possible increase in soybean imports.

“The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realise how important it is to keep it that way,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.

Trump and Xi discussed Iran at a time when tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high following Iran’s violent crackdown on nationwide protests last month. The US president has said military action remains an option. The Trump administration maintains that Iran’s nuclear programme was already set back by US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war launched by Israel against Iran in June.

Last month, Trump announced a 25 per cent tax on US imports from countries that do business with Iran. China is Iran’s largest trading partner. Despite years of sanctions, Iran carried out nearly $125 billion in international trade in 2024, including $32 billion with China, $28 billion with the United Arab Emirates and $17 billion with Turkey, according to World Trade Organisation data.

Taiwan emerged as a major point of discussion during the call, with Beijing reiterating its long-standing position on the self-governed island. “Taiwan will never be allowed to separate from China,” the Chinese government statement said.

“The US must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence.” Xi described Taiwan as “the most important issue” in China-US relations and urged Washington to act cautiously on arms supplies to the island. “The United States must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence,” he warned.

The Trump administration announced a $10 billion arms package for Taiwan in December, including medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, a move that has drawn strong criticism from Beijing. China has long vowed to “reunify” with Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force. While the US maintains formal diplomatic ties with Beijing rather than Taipei, it remains Taiwan’s biggest arms supplier and a key security partner.