HONG KONG _ President Donald Trump in his first phone call with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping since taking office reaffirmed the U.S.'s long-standing support for the "One China" policy.
"The two leaders discussed numerous topics and President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honor our 'one China' policy," the White House said in a statement Thursday. "They also extended invitations to meet in their respective countries. President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes."
The One-China assurance may ease a key source of diplomatic tension between the world's two largest economies that emerged after Trump spoke by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and subsequently questioned the policy. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has since the 1970s made U.S. acknowledgment they're part of the same country a precondition for ties.
The conversation with Xi comes almost three weeks into Trump's presidency and follows post-inaugural phone calls and meetings with several leaders including Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. It comes one day after Trump sent a note to Xi, saying he was seeking smoother ties. He thanked Xi for a congratulatory letter and wished China a happy Year of the Rooster.
Xi has reached out to Trump three times since his election win, including two congratulatory messages. They had a phone conversation on Nov. 14 in which Xi said cooperation was "the only correct choice" for ties.
