President to visit Beijing and host Xi next year

Trump says he and Chinese leader spoke about trade, drugs and Ukraine in their call.

- By SEUNG MIN KIM AND DIDI TANG

THE PHONE call Monday between Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping of China came after their October meeting in Busan, South Korea.

WASHINGTON - President Trump said that he has accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit Beijing in April and that he reciprocated by inviting Xi for a state visit to the U.S. later next year.

Trump made the announcement a few hours after he spoke with Xi by phone Monday morning. He said the two men discussed issues including Ukraine, fentanyl and soybeans. The call came nearly one month after the two leaders met in person in the South Korean city of Busan.

"Our relationship with China is extremely strong!" Trump said.

Beijing which announced the phone call first, did not mention the state visits but said that the two leaders discussed trade, Taiwan and Ukraine.

Xi told Trump during the call that Taiwan's return to mainland China is "an integral part of the postwar international order," and he expressed hope for a "fair, lasting and binding peace agreement" over Ukraine, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.