WASHINGTON: United States (US) President Donald Trump reaffirmed Washington’s ‘One China’ policy on Thursday in his first conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, an apparent effort to ease tensions after angering Beijing by questioning a major plank of Sino-US relations.
During a phone call with China’s leader, the US president agreed to “honour” a position that effectively acknowledges Taiwan is not separate from China. “President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our ‘One China’ policy,” the White House said in a statement, adding that the two leaders had “extended invitations to meet in their respective countries.” The White House called the phone discussion – which came on the eve of Trump’s slated meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – “extremely cordial”, saying the leaders “look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes”.