Xi and Trump talk by phone, Chinese state media report

According to state broadcaster CCTV, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on the phone with US President Donald Trump ahead of Trump’s expected visit to China in April.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Chinese state media did not provide further details about the call.

The two leaders last spoke on the phone in late November, after which Trump touted “extremely strong” relations with China.

The meeting with Trump also came just hours after Xi spoke via video link with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin said Putin accepted Xi’s invitation to visit China in the first half of this year.

After months of trade tensions triggered by Trump’s tariffs last year, relations between the United States and China stabilized after the leaders met in South Korea in October, where a fragile trade truce was signed.