President Donald Trump has expressed his view that Chinese President Xi Jinping is ‘very tough’ and ‘extremely hard to make a deal with,’ despite admitting he ‘likes’ the Chinese leader. The comment was made on Trump’s Truth Social platform, with the president indicating that he and Xi are scheduled to have a call this week to address tariff negotiations.
Trump’s previous actions, including levying high tariffs on Chinese imports, have led to reciprocal measures by China and ongoing trade disputes. As part of these ongoing discussions, Trump’s administration is in the process of engaging with various countries to secure the best trade deal offers before a key deadline.
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett revealed plans for Trump to speak with Xi on Sunday. Hassett said, ‘President Trump, we expect, is going to have a wonderful conversation about the trade negotiations this week with President Xi. That’s our expectation.’
The call comes after Trump imposed tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods, following China’s reciprocal tariff plans in April. However, a federal judge recently blocked five of Trump’s tariff executive orders, which could affect the ongoing trade negotiations. Furthermore, China and the U.S. reached a preliminary trade agreement last month, which Trump claimed was violated by China. Trump criticized China for breaching the agreement, which he called a ‘fast deal’ to prevent a ‘very bad situation’ for China.
Trump’s administration is also holding simultaneous trade talks with countries around the world, requesting many of these countries to submit their best trade deal offers by Wednesday. These efforts are part of the administration’s broader strategy to navigate the complex international trade landscape and secure favorable terms for the U.S.