Trump Calls Xi “Extremely Hard to Make a Deal With” Amid Rising US-China Trade Tensions

Washington, D.C.: Former U.S. President Donald Trump reignited tensions with China on Wednesday, describing President Xi Jinping as “very tough” and “extremely hard to make a deal with,” despite ongoing expectations for a high-level phone call between the two leaders.

“I like President Xi of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH,” Trump wrote in an early morning post on Truth Social.

The statement follows recent comments from White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, who said on Monday that a call between Trump and Xi was likely to take place this week. The conversation is expected to focus on last month’s tariff agreement reached in Geneva, including the contentious issue of critical minerals.

Leavitt is the third senior Trump aide to suggest the two leaders would speak soon, but Beijing has remained non-committal. Chinese officials noted in April that no recent conversations between Trump and Xi had taken place.

The trade dispute took a legal twist last week when a U.S. trade court ruled that Trump exceeded his authority by imposing sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports under an emergency powers act. However, a federal appeals court quickly stayed that decision, reinstating the tariffs temporarily while the government’s appeal is considered.

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Trump’s latest remarks underscore the fragility of U.S.-China trade relations and cast doubt on whether diplomatic progress can be achieved anytime soon.