China reiterated on Saturday that it had not engaged in any trade discussions with the United States, contradicting President Donald Trump’s claim that he had received a call from Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
In an interview with Time magazine conducted on April 22 and published Friday, Trump did not clarify when the alleged call with Xi took place or what was specifically discussed.
“He’s called,” Trump said. “And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf.”
China’s commerce ministry had already denied on Thursday that any economic or trade negotiations were underway between Beijing and Washington.
On Saturday, Beijing’s embassy in Washington reaffirmed this stance via a statement on WeChat, asserting that “there have been no consultations or negotiations between China and the United States on tariff issues, let alone any agreement.”
The statement did not mention Trump or Xi by name, nor did it directly address Trump’s claim of a phone call. However, it described the U.S. remarks about ongoing dialogue on tariffs as “nothing but misleading.”
“This trade war was initiated by the U.S. side,” the statement said.
“If the United States truly wants to resolve the issue through dialogue, it must first correct its mistakes, cease its threats and pressure tactics, and completely remove all unilateral tariffs imposed on China.”
The world’s two largest economies remain embroiled in a rapidly escalating trade war, set off by Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports, with duties now reaching as high as 145 percent on many goods.
Trump indicated that he expects to announce agreements with various U.S. trading partners in the coming weeks.
“There’s a number at which they will feel comfortable,” Trump told Time, referring to China. “But you can’t let them make a trillion dollars on us.”
