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President Donald Trump on Wednesday described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “tough” negotiator, just days after accusing Beijing of backtracking on a recent agreement to reduce tariffs and trade barriers.
“I like President Xi of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH,” Trump wrote on Truth Social early Wednesday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump and Xi are expected to speak this week as both sides attempt to resolve tensions surrounding last month’s tariff agreement reached in Geneva and other lingering trade issues.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized recent U.S. actions during a meeting Tuesday with U.S. Ambassador David Perdue, calling the administration’s steps “negative measures” based on “groundless reasons” that, he said, harm China’s interests, according to CNBC.
A readout of the meeting released by Chinese officials quoted Perdue as saying Trump has “great respect” for Xi. Chinese authorities urged the U.S. to meet China “halfway” to return relations to the “right track.”
Trade tensions escalated last week when a U.S. trade court ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority on tariffs imposed on Chinese and other foreign goods. A federal appeals court temporarily reinstated the tariffs less than 24 hours later, pending the administration’s appeal of the ruling.
Trump imposed 145 percent tariffs on Chinese goods on April 2, prompting Beijing to retaliate with 125 percent duties on U.S. exports. A partial de-escalation followed in May, delaying action on other countries until July 9.
The president blasted China last week on social media, arguing the country was violating its agreement with the U.S.
“Two weeks ago China was in grave economic danger! The very high Tariffs I set made it virtually impossible for China to TRADE into the United States marketplace which is, by far, number one in the World. We went, in effect, COLD TURKEY with China, and it was devastating for them. Many factories closed and there was, to put it mildly, ‘civil unrest.’ I saw what was happening and didn’t like it, for them, not for us,” Trump wrote.