Washington DC (National Times): U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to speak later this week, amid escalating trade tensions between the two nations, according to a statement from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, as reported by ABC News.
Leavitt confirmed to reporters on Monday that a conversation between the two leaders is “likely” to take place in the coming days. “As always, if the call happens, we will release a readout,” she added.
This comes after Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council, indicated on Sunday during an interview with ABC’s This Week that a Trump-Xi call was anticipated, though he provided no specific date for the engagement.
Tensions Resurface Over Trade Agreement
The renewed diplomatic contact follows accusations from President Trump, who claimed that China had violated the terms of a recent trade agreement negotiated in Geneva. Trump alleged that Beijing failed to uphold its end of the deal to roll back tariffs for a 90-day period—a key component of the agreement reached last month.
However, China has dismissed Trump’s accusations, instead blaming the United States for instigating “new economic and trade frictions.”
In a fiery post on Truth Social, President Trump criticized China for allegedly breaching the deal. “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… I made a FAST DEAL to save them,” Trump wrote. He added, “The bad news is that China… HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY.”
Geneva Talks Showed “Substantial Progress”
Earlier in May, U.S. and Chinese officials met in Geneva to hammer out a temporary trade resolution. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent characterized the discussions as “productive,” crediting the Swiss hosts for facilitating a conducive negotiation environment. “We made substantial progress,” Bessent said, noting that President Trump was briefed on the outcomes.
Ambassador Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, emphasized the speed and effectiveness of the negotiations. “This was a very constructive two days. We reached a conclusion quickly, which shows the differences were perhaps not as vast as assumed,” he remarked.
Greer expressed optimism that the agreement would help address the U.S.’s \$1.2 trillion trade deficit, which had prompted Trump to declare a national economic emergency and impose sweeping tariffs.
Diplomatic Watch
While the exact timing of the Trump-Xi call remains unclear, the White House’s confirmation signals an effort to prevent further escalation and reestablish diplomatic channels. Analysts are watching closely to see whether the call can revive momentum from Geneva—or whether it will deepen the rift between the world’s two largest economies.
