Beijing has firmly denied that President Xi Jinping recently spoke with US President Donald Trump, dismissing Trump’s claims that a call had taken place amid the ongoing US-China tariff standoff.
Speaking at a regular press conference on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said, “As far as I know, there has been no recent phone call between the two heads of state.” Guo also emphasized that no talks are currently underway between the two countries to resolve their trade dispute. “I want to reiterate that China and the United States are not engaged in consultations or negotiations on the tariff issue,” he added.
The comments directly contradict Trump’s claim made last week in an interview with Time magazine, where he suggested that Xi had recently called him. Trump, who often refers to Xi as a “friend,” implied that the outreach was a positive development. “He’s called. And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf,” Trump said during the interview, without providing details on when the call took place.
Pressed by CNN on Friday about the matter, Trump declined to elaborate, saying only, “I don’t want to comment on that, but I’ve spoken to him many times,” as he departed the South Lawn of the White House.
However, public records show the last official phone conversation between the two leaders occurred on January 17, just days before Trump’s second inauguration.
Since last week, Trump has repeatedly suggested that trade talks with China are underway, framing his administration as ready to ease tariffs and negotiate. Yet Beijing has consistently pushed back, issuing firm denials each time. On Friday, even before Trump’s Time interview was published, China’s Foreign Ministry warned the US not to “mislead the public” about the status of trade discussions.
Trump has recently struck a more conciliatory tone, saying US tariffs on Chinese goods could “come down substantially” and pledging to be “very nice” at the negotiating table if Xi agreed to engage. But China has shown little interest, sticking to its demand that Washington must first remove its tariffs.
Since returning to office, Trump has slapped tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese imports, although he notably spared electronics like smartphones and computers from the heaviest levies. In retaliation, China raised its tariffs on US goods to 125%. However, Beijing has quietly eased some tariffs on American-made semiconductors, as it seeks to protect its critical tech sector from further economic pain.
For now, despite Trump’s optimism, the two countries remain deeply entrenched in their economic standoff, with no formal talks in sight.