Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
On Thursday, 5 June, US President Donald Trump held his first phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a long time.CNN reports this with reference to an informed source.
The White House has not yet officially confirmed the call, but Chinese state media have already reported it.
This is the first conversation between the leaders of the United States and China in a long time, which took place against the backdrop of rising global tensions and numerous warnings from Beijing about Trump’s policies.
What preceded the conversation:
- Chinese officials have long postponed contact, fearing Trump’s unpredictability.
- Trump himself said several times in the spring that he would “talk to Xi soon”.
- The conversation took place against the backdrop of intensifying competition between the US and China in the areas of trade, defence, artificial intelligence, and in connection with China’s position on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
An official White House statement is expected to be released shortly, which may provide more details on the content of the conversation.
