In a fresh escalation of confusion around U.S.-China relations, China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday firmly denied U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of recent communication with President Xi Jinping or any ongoing trade discussions.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun clarified, “As far as I know, there has been no phone call between the two heads of state recently,” emphasizing that “China and the United States are not conducting consultations or negotiations on tariff issues.”
The clarification comes after Trump, in an interview with Time magazine released recenlty, suggested he had “made 200 deals” on tariffs and claimed to have spoken with Xi. Adding to the confusion, U.S. Commerce Secretary Johnson had earlier stated he was unaware if any such conversation had taken place between the two leaders.
Tensions escalated further when Trump, speaking on Thursday ahead of a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, told reporters that American officials had held trade discussions with China earlier that morning. However, he refused to disclose names or specifics, only suggesting that “meetings” had taken place.
China’s denial undercuts Trump’s statements, highlighting a growing disconnect between the two governments amid sensitive trade and tariff issues.
