Trump Calls Xi ‘Extremely Difficult’ as US-China Trade Talks Stall

U.S.-China relations are entering a new phase of tension after President Donald Trump described his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as “extremely difficult” to strike a deal with, amplifying uncertainty around stalled trade negotiations.

The comments, posted on social media, came just as the White House signaled a potential phone call between the two leaders was imminent. “I like President Xi of China, I always have and I always will, but he is VERY TOUGH AND EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CLOSE A DEAL WITH HIM!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

A senior White House official had told CNBC on Monday that Trump and Xi would likely speak this week. However, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that trade talks “have somewhat stalled” and would probably require intervention from the two heads of state.

The rhetoric from Beijing has also sharpened. During a meeting on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the new U.S. Ambassador, David Perdue, that a recent wave of “negative measures” from the Trump administration was based on “unfounded reasons” and undermined China’s legitimate rights, according to an official statement.

Wang urged the U.S. to “meet China halfway” and work to return bilateral relations to the “right track.”

The Chinese statement also noted that Perdue said Trump holds “great respect” for Xi. “This is obviously a Beijing effort to leave the impression that Trump wants to talk. The fact that Beijing is saying this publicly shows the call is getting closer,” said Neo Wang, chief economist and strategist for China at Evercore ISI. He added that the Wang-Perdue meeting was arranged to build trust, “so that Xi is not exposed by Trump’s potential words or actions after the call.”

In a post on X late Tuesday, the U.S. ambassador said he stressed U.S. priorities on trade, fentanyl, and immigration to Wang, as well as the importance of maintaining bilateral communication.

Mutual Accusations

Washington and Beijing have been trading accusations over the violation of a trade agreement reached in Switzerland on May 12. The deal included a 90-day suspension of most tariffs and a broad lifting of trade countermeasures imposed since early April.

Contrary to Washington’s expectations, China has not significantly relaxed its restrictions on rare earth exports. Beijing has also criticized U.S. efforts to limit its access to advanced technology. Last week, the Trump administration announced it would begin canceling student visas for Chinese nationals.

Trump and Xi last spoke in January, shortly before the U.S. president was sworn in for his second term. While Trump has indicated in recent weeks that he would like to speak with Xi, analysts believe China will only agree if it is certain there will be no surprises from the U.S. side during the call.