On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that negotiating with Chinese President Xi Jinping is “extremely difficult,” as discussions become more likely during a week of escalating trade friction.
Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, noted on Thursday that trade negotiations were “somewhat stalled,” emphasizing that both leaders would need to participate. A senior White House official mentioned to CNBC on Monday that a conversation between Trump and Xi might occur this week.
However, it remains uncertain if such a call has been scheduled.
Trump expressed on Truth Social, “I have always liked President Xi of China and will always do so, but he is VERY TOUGH and EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!”
Both Washington and Beijing have accused each other of breaching a trade agreement made in Switzerland on May 12, which included a 90-day halt on most tariffs and a comprehensive rollback of China’s trade countermeasures against the U.S. from early April.
Despite expectations from Washington, China has not significantly lifted limits on rare earth exports. Beijing has also criticized the U.S. for its plans to restrict China’s access to advanced technology. Furthermore, last week, the Trump administration announced plans to revoke visas for Chinese students.
During his first meeting with the new U.S. Ambassador David Perdue on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that the recent “negative measures” taken by the Trump administration were based on “unfounded reasons” and undermined China’s legitimate rights and interests, according to the official report.
The Chinese authorities reported that Perdue mentioned Trump has “great respect” for Xi, urging the U.S. to “meet China halfway” for better bilateral relations.
Neo Wang, the lead economist and strategist at Evercore ISI, noted, “This seems to be Beijing’s way of suggesting that Trump is open to talks. Their public acknowledgment indicates that a phone call may be imminent.”
He added that the meeting between Perdue and the Chinese diplomat was aimed at establishing the trust Beijing needs, “to ensure that Xi won’t face embarrassment from Trump due to unexpected comments or actions following their call.”
Trump and Xi last communicated in January, right before Trump was inaugurated for his second term. Although Trump has expressed interest in speaking with Xi recently, analysts believe that China will only agree if it can be assured of no surprises from the U.S. during their conversation.
The U.S. ambassador mentioned on X late Tuesday that he reiterated to Wang the U.S. priorities regarding trade, fentanyl, and illegal immigration, stressing the importance of maintaining open communication between the two nations.
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