Trump and Xi Hold First Call of Second Term Amid Trade and Visa Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first phone call since Trump began his second term, as tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to escalate over trade and student visa policies.

“I just wrapped up a very good call with President Xi of China,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “We discussed the finer details of the trade agreement we recently reached, and the outcome was very positive for both countries.”

The 90-minute call focused almost exclusively on trade, according to Trump. He noted that issues like Russia, Ukraine, or Iran were not on the agenda. Trump added that American and Chinese delegations would soon meet to continue discussions, and emphasized that “there should be no more confusion” about rare earth mineral agreements.

The U.S. delegation will include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Trump also revealed that both he and Xi extended mutual invitations for state visits.

China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency confirmed that the call took place at Trump’s request.

President Xi told Trump that the two nations need to “reset the course” of their relationship. “Guiding the giant ship of U.S.-China relations back on track requires firm steering and clarity of direction — especially in removing interference and even sabotage,” Xi reportedly said.

He also warned the U.S. to handle the Taiwan issue carefully, saying that failure to do so could allow pro-independence forces to drag both nations into direct confrontation.

Trade tensions between the U.S. and China have grown steadily since Trump returned to office. In April, Washington imposed tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese imports. Beijing responded with its own round of retaliatory tariffs, reaching as high as 125%.

Following two days of talks in Switzerland in early May, both sides agreed to a 90-day pause in tariff hikes to allow further negotiations. Under the deal, the U.S. cut tariffs to 30%, while China lowered its retaliatory rates to 10% and pledged to accelerate export licenses for critical rare earth minerals needed in industries like electric vehicles and semiconductors.

However, slow progress in licensing prompted accusations from Trump and other U.S. officials last week that China was violating the agreement — claims that Beijing firmly denied as “baseless.”

Tensions have also flared over student visas. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced that visas would be revoked for certain Chinese students linked to the Chinese government or studying in sensitive fields.

Adding to the strain, Trump signed an executive order halting all new student visas for international applicants planning to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University.

The U.S. currently hosts over 1.1 million international students, with Chinese nationals making up about 25% of that population. China’s Foreign Ministry responded with strong criticism, accusing Washington of politicizing education and engaging in discriminatory behavior. It vowed to defend the legal rights of Chinese students and scholars.

(Sources: Xinhua, AFP, Reuters)

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