President Donald Trump on Wednesday called Chinese President Xi Jinping a “very tough” negotiator on social media platform Truth Social. “I like President Xi… but he is extremely hard to make a deal with,” Trump posted.
The comment comes as Trump prepares for a potential phone call with Xi this week, following disputes over last month’s tariff agreement in Geneva. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met U.S. Ambassador David Perdue on Tuesday and criticized Trump’s tariffs as “groundless,” according to CNBC.
Chinese officials said Trump “respects” Xi and urged the U.S. to return to the “right track.”
A U.S. trade court recently ruled Trump overstepped his authority on tariffs, but a federal appeals court reinstated them pending review.
Trump has imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese goods and increased steel and aluminium duties. The OECD has since downgraded its global growth outlook, warning the U.S. will suffer most.
