President Donald Trump announced a new round of U.S.-China trade negotiations following a 90-minute phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the call, the two leaders discussed recent progress on a deal to ease tariffs and resolve China’s rare earth export restrictions.
Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after the June 5 conversation, calling it “a very good phone call” that ended on a “very positive” note for both countries. He confirmed that Chinese export restrictions on rare earth elements—critical components in defense systems, electronics, and renewable energy—have been resolved, removing one of the most contentious sticking points in the trade dispute.
“Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined,” Trump wrote, naming Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as lead negotiators for the American side.
The call followed weeks of frustration over China’s failure to fully comply with a Geneva agreement signed on May 12. That deal temporarily reduced tit-for-tat tariffs for 90 days to allow time for further negotiations. Trump had accused Beijing of “slow-rolling” key elements of the deal, particularly its export curbs on critical minerals.
Under the Geneva truce, the United States lowered tariffs on Chinese goods from 145 percent to 30 percent, while China reduced retaliatory duties from 125 percent to 10 percent. The two sides are expected to revisit the deal’s full implementation in upcoming meetings.
The Chinese government acknowledged the call, with state-run Xinhua quoting Xi as saying both nations must “enhance communication” and “build consensus” on foreign affairs, trade, military, and law enforcement.
Xi also pressed Trump to handle Taiwan-related matters with “prudence,” warning that separatists pushing for Taiwanese independence could provoke confrontation.
Despite recent diplomatic flare-ups—including visa restrictions on Chinese students with CCP ties and tensions over Huawei’s AI chip development—Trump emphasized that the call focused “almost entirely on TRADE.” He reiterated support for the one-China policy and said he welcomes Chinese students studying in the U.S.
Trump and Xi also exchanged invitations to visit each other’s countries, with both leaders expressing optimism about strengthening ties.
While Trump confirmed that issues like Russia and Iran were not discussed during the call, he signaled continued interest in shaping U.S. policy toward China. When asked later about a bipartisan Senate bill proposing sanctions on Beijing over its support for Russia, Trump said, “They’ll be guided by me. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
The next round of trade talks is expected to take place soon, though no date or location has been finalized. Trump expressed confidence that both countries “can get a lot of great things done.”