U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping contacted him and that the two countries were negotiating a tariff agreement — a claim Beijing has denied.
This development came as China quietly excluded certain U.S. products from its high import tariffs, signaling a possible thaw in the ongoing trade war.
In an interview with Time magazine, Mr. Trump said President Xi initiated the communication.
“He called. And I don’t view that as a sign of weakness on his part,” Mr. Trump told the magazine.
The U.S. president also stated that his administration had finalized 200 tariff deals, expecting them to be completed in three to four weeks.
“We’re meeting with China. Everything’s going fine. But ultimately, I’ve secured all the deals,” he said.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the alleged call.
However, spokesperson Guo Jiakun firmly denied that the U.S. and China were engaged in any tariff negotiations.
“There are no ongoing consultations or negotiations on tariffs between China and the U.S.,” Guo said.
“The U.S. should refrain from sowing confusion.”
Beijing has previously accused Mr. Trump of misleading the public regarding bilateral trade talks.
Earlier this month, Mr. Trump imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese goods, to which China retaliated with 125% tariffs on U.S. imports.
When asked about the content of his conversation with President Xi, Mr. Trump did not directly answer but elaborated on his broader trade strategy, likening the U.S. to a retail giant.
“I am this giant store,” he explained to Time.
“It’s a big, beautiful store, and everyone wants to shop there. And on behalf of the American people, I own the store, I set the prices, and if you want to shop here, you must pay the set price.”
Speaking to reporters before departing for Pope Francis’s funeral on Friday, Mr. Trump was again questioned about the call with President Xi.
“I don’t want to comment on that, but I’ve spoken with him numerous times,” he said.
Pressed for more information, he declined to elaborate but indicated he would address it “at the appropriate time.”
Trump claims ‘200 deals’ on tariffs
In the Time interview, Mr. Trump emphasized that “200 deals” with various companies and nations were set to be announced in the coming weeks.
He mentioned that officials from his administration had held talks with counterparts from Japan, India, South Korea, the European Union, Canada, Mexico, and others.
Mr. Trump also said a trade agreement with Japan was near, describing it as a “test case” for future bilateral deals, though analysts anticipate the talks could be complex.
Despite ongoing discussions, Mr. Trump showed no intention of reducing the baseline 10% tariff, which Australia and other countries are currently subject to.
He reiterated his demand that other nations lower their own import taxes and eliminate non-tariff barriers.
“These countries — some made hundreds of billions, others just a lot of money,” Mr. Trump said.
“Very few made nothing, because the United States was being taken advantage of by nearly every country in the world. So I’ll set a price — and it will be fair, based on statistics and other factors.”
He also denied that recent market instability influenced his 90-day delay on reciprocal tariffs.
“The bond market got the jitters, but I didn’t,” he said.
“I know the strength we have — but I also know we won’t maintain it if we endure another four years of gross incompetence.”
