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Nazrin Abdul

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In a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, China's President Xi Jinping emphasized that Taiwan is "the most important issue" in US-China relations, urging caution over US arms sales to the self-governed island, Azernews reports, citing foreign media.

Xi stressed that Taiwan is "China's territory" and reaffirmed Beijing's commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, warning the US to "handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence," state media reported.

The call, which Xi described as "excellent" and "long and thorough," also covered a range of other global issues, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the situation in Iran, and China's oil and gas purchases from the US. Xi's comments come as tensions over Taiwan remain high, with Beijing consistently vowing to reunify with the island, even leaving the door open to the use of force.

In response, Trump praised his "extremely good" relationship with Xi and reiterated the importance of maintaining strong ties between the two nations. Trump also revealed that Beijing is considering increasing its soybean purchases from the US, from 12 million tonnes to 20 million tonnes.

This conversation follows a series of high-profile visits by Western leaders, including UK Labour leader Keir Starmer, to China in an attempt to reset relations with the world's second-largest economy. Trump is also set to visit China in April, a trip he has expressed enthusiasm about.

The US and China have long navigated a delicate diplomatic balance, with Washington officially recognising Beijing over Taiwan, while remaining Taiwan's largest arms supplier. Last December, the Trump administration announced an $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which included advanced rocket launchers and missiles, a move that Beijing condemned, warning it would escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Despite these challenges, Xi and Trump expressed a shared interest in managing their differences, with Xi emphasising that if both sides work in the spirit of equality and mutual respect, they can find solutions to address each other's concerns.

Just hours before speaking with Trump, Xi held a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where both leaders hailed the growing strength of Sino-Russian relations.