Trump talks Iran with Xi as US pushes China to isolate Tehran

WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump said on Feb. 4 he and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the situation in Iran in a wide-ranging call that comes as the U.S. administration pushes Beijing and others to isolate Tehran.

Trump said that he held an "excellent" and "long and thorough" call with Xi ahead of an upcoming official visit to Beijing.

The U.S. president said they discussed "trade, military, the April trip that I will be making to China [which I very much look forward to!], Taiwan, the war between Russia and Ukraine, the current situation with Iran, the purchase of oil and gas by China from the United States," and other matters.

Trump said China is mulling the potential purchase of additional U.S. agricultural products, as well as pending airplane engine deliveries.

"The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way," he said on his Truth Social platform. "I believe that there will be many positive results achieved over the next three years of my Presidency having to do with President Xi, and the People’s Republic of China!"

China's leader Xi told Trump that they could resolve bilateral issues with mutual respect, Chinese state media said.

"By tackling issues one by one and continuously building mutual trust, we can forge a right way for the two countries to get along," Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

"Let us make 2026 a year in which China and the United States, as two major countries, move toward mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation," he added.

Beijing and Washington have seen ties stabilize after Xi and Trump met in late October in South Korea, with both sides heralding progress in easing long-simmering trade disputes that roiled global markets.