Donald Trump and Xi Jinping expected to hold trade talks this week

Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to speak this week to discuss recent trade tensions, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are likely to hold a phone call this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced, just days after Trump accused Beijing of backtracking on a recent tariff rollback deal.

Leavitt became the third senior Trump official to confirm the expected conversation, which aims to address ongoing disagreements over last month’s temporary tariff truce agreed in Geneva, as well as broader trade issues.

While the exact timing of the call remains unclear, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday on CBS’ Face the Nation that the leaders would speak “very soon,” with particular focus on China’s export restrictions on critical minerals and unresolved tariff disputes.

Trump himself expressed confidence last Friday, stating he was “sure” he would speak with Xi. However, Beijing indicated in April that no recent conversations between the two leaders had taken place.

On Saturday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced an extension of tariff exclusions on certain Chinese imports - including solar manufacturing equipment - through August 31, allowing more time for ongoing talks.

Bessent led last month’s negotiations with Chinese officials in Geneva, which resulted in a temporary 90-day pause on certain U.S. tariffs. The move triggered a short-lived global stock rally, but failed to resolve deeper issues - namely U.S. concerns over China’s state-driven economic model and industrial policies.

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