Trump speaks with China’s Xi Jinping ahead of April trip

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke over the phone Wednesday, their first conversation since November, as the White House and Beijing prepare for Mr. Trump’s expected visit to China in April.

Mr. Trump described the conversation as “excellent” and “very positive,” adding that the two leaders talked about trade, Taiwan, the military and his upcoming trip. He said tensions between the two sides are stabilizing.

“The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way. I believe that there will be many positive results achieved over the next three years of my Presidency having to do with President Xi, and the People’s Republic of China,” Mr. Trump said on social media.

China’s state media outlet, Xinhua News Agency, also confirmed the call, but did not provide further details.

The chat came hours after Mr. Xi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Tensions between the world’s two largest economies have somewhat thawed after Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump reached a one-year trade deal in South Korea last year, ending a tariff war in which both sides escalated the levies slapped on imported goods. The U.S.-China trade war had disrupted global financial markets and raised fears of a recession.

The Trump-Xi meeting in October came on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, with the two leaders agreeing to lower tariffs and curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit substances into the U.S. They also held a phone call in November, which focused on tensions between Japan and China over Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing considers its own territory.

Despite fraught relations between the U.S. and China, its two leaders cooperated to approve a long-awaited deal for TikTok and its Chinese parent company to transfer parts of their U.S. operations to a group of American investors. That ended a years-long drama that could have resulted in the popular app being permanently banned in the U.S.

Mr. Trump has hailed the deal and credited Mr. Xi, who approved the transfer in January.