Sources say Donald Trump and Xi Jinping had an informal exchange of views in the past two and a half months, with Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine high on the agenda. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images, and Yusuke Hinata)

Analysis: How Trump expects Xi to help end war in Ukraine

Beijing's involvement can affect U.S.-China ties in new era

KATSUJI NAKAZAWA

January 23, 2025 04:00 JST

Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, who was sworn in as the 47th U.S. president on Monday, have repeatedly exchanged views in a serious manner over the past two and a half months, including behind the scenes.