U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping [Reuters Yonhap News]

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation on the 4th (local time) and discussed bilateral relations, the Taiwan issue, and global affairs.

The phone call between the two leaders, the first of the new year, comes about two months after their last conversation on November 24th of last year.

President Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, "Just finished a great call with President Xi. It was a long and detailed call."

He further elaborated on the topics discussed, saying, "Important subjects were discussed, including trade, military, my much-anticipated trip to China in April, Taiwan, the Russia-Ukraine war, the current situation in Iran, China's purchase of U.S. oil and gas, China's review of additional agricultural product purchases, aircraft engine supply, and numerous other topics. Everything was very positive."

China's official Xinhua News Agency also reported on the call between President Trump and President Xi, quoting President Xi as saying that the Taiwan issue is "the most important issue in China-U.S. relations," and that "Taiwan is Chinese territory, China will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never allow Taiwan to be separated."

He emphasized, "The United States must handle the issue of selling arms to Taiwan with caution."

In response, Xinhua News Agency reported that President Trump stated, "I attach great importance to China's concerns regarding the Taiwan issue," and expressed hope to "maintain communication with China and keep U.S.-China relations better and more stable during my term."

Additionally, President Trump announced via Truth Social that regarding China's purchase of U.S. soybeans, China has agreed to increase its purchase volume for the current season to 20 million tons and has pledged to purchase 25 million tons for the next season.

The inclusion of China's purchase of U.S. oil and gas in the call content, as conveyed by President Trump, is noteworthy in the context of the current global situation.

If President Trump's statement is accurate, it means that discussions were held regarding China replacing some of its current imports from countries like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela with U.S. oil and gas.

This is particularly of interest as the U.S. is controlling oil exports from Venezuela, one of China's oil import sources, following the expulsion of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The call between the leaders comes about two months after their phone conversation on November 24th of last year. That call took place a month after the U.S.-China presidential summit held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco.

It is noteworthy whether discussions about the U.S.'s indirect containment of China, which has been ongoing since the beginning of the year, took place during this call.

President Xi may have expressed concerns regarding the U.S. controlling oil transactions from Venezuela, one of China's energy import sources, and the U.S. intensifying pressure on Cuba, a Chinese ally in Latin America, as the next target in the region.

It is also speculated that President Xi may have expressed concerns about the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Iran, another major oil import source for China.

The two leaders particularly emphasized the importance of U.S.-China relations during the call.

In his Truth Social post, President Trump stated, "The relationship with China, and President Xi and myself, is very good, and we both recognize how important it is to maintain that."

He also emphasized, "I believe we will achieve many positive outcomes with President Xi and China over the next three years of my term."

Xinhua News Agency reported that President Xi said, "I attach great importance to China-U.S. relations. I hope that in the new year, we can steer the ship of China-U.S. relations together with you, navigate through storms, and advance steadily to achieve more great and good things."

He further stressed, "China always keeps its promises and acts with tangible results. If both sides approach each other with equality, respect, and reciprocity, we can find ways to address our respective concerns."

President Xi also proposed, "Both sides should strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, and expand practical cooperation in accordance with the consensus already reached. Let's work on one thing at a time, build trust, and make 2026 a year of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation for the United States and China."