Trump And Xi To Meet This Week To Discuss Tariffs And Rising US-China Trade Tensions

<p>U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to speak this week, as trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies escalate once again over alleged breaches of tariff and trade agreements.</p>
<p>White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the likelihood of a call between the two leaders, telling reporters Monday, “I can confirm that the two leaders will likely talk this week.” She added, “And as always, when foreign leaders call, we will provide a readout of those calls,” according to a report by ABC News.</p>
<p>The anticipated dialogue follows recent accusations by Trump that China violated a new trade agreement between the nations. In a post on Truth Social dated May 30, Trump wrote, “Two weeks ago, China was in grave economic danger! The very high Tariffs I set made it virtually impossible for China to TRADE into the United States marketplace, which is, by far, the number one in the World. We went, in effect, COLD TURKEY with China, and it was devastating for them. Many factories closed and there was, to put it mildly, ‘civil unrest.’ I saw what was happening and didn’t like it, for them, not for us.”</p>
<p>”I made a FAST DEAL with China in order to save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation, and I didn’t want to see that happen. Because of this deal, everything quickly stabilized and China got back to business as usual. Everybody was happy! That is the good news!!! The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY,” he continued.</p>
<p>On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also hinted that a Trump-Xi conversation would happen “very soon,” noting in an appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation that key topics would include trade disagreements surrounding critical minerals and China’s export restrictions. Bessent, who played a central role in the Geneva negotiations that temporarily paused the trade war last year, acknowledged to Fox News that progress since then has been limited.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office has extended tariff exclusions for selected Chinese imports, including solar manufacturing equipment, until August 31. The extension aims to provide more time for ongoing negotiations with Beijing.</p>
<p>In a recent legal twist, a U.S. trade court ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority when imposing sweeping tariffs under emergency powers. However, a federal appeals court swiftly reinstated the tariffs the next day, putting the lower court’s ruling on hold while the government prepares its appeal. Deadlines for legal responses are set for June 5 (plaintiffs) and June 9 (administration).</p>
<p>The prior agreement to reduce triple-digit tariffs for a 90-day window briefly energized global markets but fell short of addressing deeper U.S. concerns over China’s state-directed economic model and export-heavy practices. Chinese officials stated in April that no recent talks between the leaders had taken place, further highlighting the communication gap that now appears poised to close.</p>