China denies Trump’s claim of phone call with Xi, reaffirms no talks on tariffs

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday firmly denied U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent claim that he had spoken by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to CNN, the ministry also reiterated that no discussions are currently underway to resolve the ongoing tariff dispute between the two nations.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated, "As far as I know, there has been no recent phone call between the two heads of state." Guo added, "I want to emphasize once again that China and the United States are not engaged in consultations or negotiations concerning the tariff issue."

China has maintained a tough public stance on the trade war, even as Trump appeared to soften his rhetoric last week. The U.S. president said that the hefty tariffs on Chinese products would "come down substantially" and pledged to be "very nice" during any future negotiations in an effort to coax Xi back to the table.

In an interview with Time magazine published Friday, Trump claimed, "He’s called. And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf." However, Trump provided no further details about the supposed call, and when pressed by CNN later that day, he simply responded, “I don’t want to comment on that, but I’ve spoken to him many times,” as he departed from the South Lawn of the White House.

Public records show the last confirmed conversation between Trump and Xi took place on January 17, just days before Trump began his second term in office.

Despite Trump’s recent remarks suggesting ongoing dialogue, China's Foreign Ministry on Friday warned the United States against "misleading the public" about the status of trade negotiations.

The tariff war continues to escalate. According to a White House fact sheet, China's retaliatory measures have led to tariffs of up to 245% on U.S. imports — a sharp increase from the previous 145%. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration has notably spared electronics such as smartphones and computers from these reciprocal tariffs.

In retaliation, China raised tariffs on U.S. imports to 125%, though it has eased duties on some American-made semiconductors to mitigate the impact on its own technology sector.