Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump had a lengthy, far-reaching telephone conversation on Wednesday, in which the Asian leader warned his American counterpart that "the Taiwan question" was the most pressing issue in their countries' relationship.
The self-governing, democratic island has increasingly become a focal point in U.S.-China relations amid growing concerns about an eventual Beijing invasion that have only been amplified since the Trump administration's military operation last month in Venezuela that removed its authoritarian leader, Nicolas Madura.
Both Xi and Trump confirmed the Wednesday call, with the U.S. leader describing the conversation in a statement on his Truth Social platform as "excellent" and his relations with the Chinese head as "an extremely good one."
He said they discussed the military, trade, the situation in Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war as well as Beijing considering buying U.S. agricultural products, including soybeans, which have been a sticking point for American farms. According to Trump, Beijing is considering increasing its U.S. soybean imports to 20 million metric tons.
A readout of the call from China's foreign ministry made no mention of soybeans, but emphasized its claim to Taiwan in direct terms.
