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Former President Donald Trump has declared that he agreed to visit Beijing in April and asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for a diplomatic trip in the coming year, following a telephone conversation between the two leaders.

Trump and Xi—who held talks recently in South Korea—covered a range of issues including trade, the Ukraine conflict, the opioid crisis, and the island of Taiwan, as stated by the U.S. leader and Beijing's diplomatic corps.

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

Beijing's press outlet released a statement that said both countries should "maintain progress, keep moving forward in the right direction on the basis of fairness, respect and mutual benefit".

Previous Meeting and Trade Developments

The leaders met in the South Korean city of Busan in the fall, after which they settled on a pause on import duties. The United States chose to cut a import tax in half intended to decrease the movement of opioids.

Tariffs remain on Chinese goods and average nearly 50 percent.

"Since then, the Sino-American ties has largely sustained a consistent and favorable course, and this is welcomed by the two countries and the international community at large," the Beijing's announcement said.

• The US then pulled back a warning of 100% additional tariffs on Chinese goods, while Beijing delayed its intention to introduce its recent phase of limits on mineral exports.

Economic Emphasis

Official representative Karoline Leavitt commented that the Monday call with Xi—which took around 60 minutes—was centered on economic issues.

"The U.S. is happy with what we've seen from the Beijing, and they agree," she said.

Additional Issues

Besides discussing commerce, Xi and Trump discussed the topics of the Ukraine war and the Taiwan situation.

Xi told Trump that Taiwan's "reunification with China" is vital for Beijing's perspective for the "global system after conflicts".

China has been engaged in a diplomatic battle with Tokyo, a US ally, over the long-term "strategic ambiguity" on the authority of the independently administered island.

Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi commented that a potential assault from Beijing on Taiwan could force a Japanese military response.

Trump, but, did not mention the Taiwan issue in his online message about the conversation.

US Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, noted before that the US backs the Japanese in the wake of China's "pressure".