Washington - Saba:
US President Donald Trump said he respects Chinese President Xi Jinping, but stressed that negotiating with his Chinese counterpart is very difficult.
In a post he wrote on the Truth Social platform on Wednesday, according to Sputnik, Trump said: "I liked Chinese President Xi Jinping, and I still like him, but he is very tough and very difficult to make deals with."
Trump's statement comes at a time of escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing over economic, trade, and military issues.
Last Monday, the White House indicated that Trump and his Chinese counterpart were likely to hold a phone call this week.
However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that it had no information about an imminent phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump.
Last week, Trump accused China of violating the recently reached agreement to reduce tariffs.
On May 12, 2025, the United States and China agreed to a trade truce. Washington reduced its tariffs on Chinese goods from 145 percent to 30 percent, while China reduced its tariffs on US goods from 125 percent to 10 percent. This truce will last for 90 days.
In a joint statement, the two governments announced their commitment to take these steps by May 14, 2025, recognizing the importance of bilateral economic relations and their impact on the global economy, and seeking to establish a long-term, sustainable, and mutually beneficial relationship.
The announcement came after marathon trade negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, between officials from the world's two largest economies, during which both sides hailed "tangible progress."