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Leader Donald Trump has confirmed that he agreed to visit China's capital in April and asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit later next year, following a telephone conversation between the two leaders.

Trump and Xi—who convened nearly a month ago in South Korea—talked about a series of matters including trade, the Ukraine conflict, fentanyl, and Taiwan, as stated by the U.S. leader and Beijing's diplomatic corps.

"The U.S.-China ties is extremely strong!" Trump wrote in a online message.

Beijing's press outlet published a statement that noted both nations should "maintain progress, progress in the positive way on the foundation of equality, mutual respect and shared interests".

Previous Meeting and Trade Developments

The heads of state held discussions in Busan, South Korea in the fall, subsequently they reached a ceasefire on import duties. The U.S. government opted to slash a 20% tariff by 50% aimed at the supply of fentanyl.

Tariffs continue on Chinese goods and stand at just below 50%.

"From that point, the Sino-American ties has mostly kept a steady and positive trajectory, and this is greeted positively by the both nations and the broader international community," the Chinese statement added.

• The United States then retracted a warning of double tariffs on products, while Beijing delayed its scheme to implement its latest round of restrictions on rare earths.

Economic Emphasis

Official representative Karoline Leavitt commented that the recent conversation with Xi—which went on for an hour—was mainly about commerce.

"We are pleased with what we've witnessed from the Chinese, and they share that sentiment," she said.

Additional Issues

In addition to talking about trade, Xi and Trump broached the topics of the Ukraine war and Taiwan.

Xi told Trump that the island's "integration into China" is vital for the Chinese outlook for the "world order following wars".

The Chinese government has been part of a political dispute with the Japanese government, a American partner, over the enduring "strategic ambiguity" on the authority of the independently administered island.

In the past few weeks, Japan's leader Sanae Takaichi commented that any Chinese attack on Taiwan could compel a Japanese military response.

Trump, though, did not mention the Taiwan issue in his social media update about the call.

America's envoy to Tokyo, George Glass, noted before that the U.S. government supports Japan in the aftermath of Beijing's "intimidation".