China Denies Trump’s Claim of Recent Call With Xi Jinping Amid Ongoing Trade War Tensions

Beijing asserts no recent communication or tariff negotiations have taken place, counters US President’s remarks during Time magazine interview.

Beijing [China], April 28:
China’s Foreign Ministry has firmly denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that Chinese President Xi Jinping recently called him, reiterating that no talks or negotiations regarding the ongoing tariff war have occurred between the two nations, CNN reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun addressed the issue at a regular news conference, stating, “As far as I know, there has been no recent phone call between the two heads of state,” and emphasized, “China and the United States are not engaged in consultations or negotiations on the tariff issue.”

The denial comes after Trump, during an interview with Time magazine last week, said that Xi had called him. Trump described the alleged call as a positive move, telling Time, “He’s called. And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf.”

However, Trump offered no specifics when later asked by CNN, saying only, “I don’t want to comment on that, but I’ve spoken to him many times.”

According to public records, the last confirmed conversation between Xi and Trump occurred on January 17, just days before Trump assumed office for his second term.

Despite China’s firm public stance, Trump has softened his tone in recent days, suggesting that astronomical tariffs imposed on Chinese goods would “come down substantially” if negotiations progress, and promising to be “very nice” at the negotiating table, CNN reported.

Last Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry also warned the United States against “misleading the public” regarding the status of trade negotiations. The caution came just hours before the Time interview was published.

Meanwhile, the White House released a fact sheet noting that China’s retaliatory measures have resulted in tariffs of up to 245% on certain US imports, a sharp increase from the previous 145%. Trump has, however, exempted electronics like smartphones and computers from “reciprocal tariffs.”

In response, China raised tariffs on various US imports to 125%, although it has rolled back levies on select American-made semiconductors in an effort to cushion the impact on its tech sector.