INTERNATIONAL
Trump and Xi will likely speak this week, White House says


US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may talk soon as US-China trade tensions persist, despite a temporary truce and legal battles over tariff authority. - REUTERS/Filepic
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will likely speak this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, days after Trump accused China of violating an agreement to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions.
AI Brief
Leavitt is the third top Trump aide to forecast an imminent call between the two leaders to iron out differences on last month's tariff agreement in Geneva, among larger trade issues.
It was not immediately clear when the two leaders will speak.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that Trump and Xi would speak "very soon" to iron out trade issues including a dispute over critical minerals and China's restrictions on exports of certain minerals.
Trump said on Friday he was sure that he would speak to Xi. China said in April that the two leaders had not had a conversation recently.
On Saturday, the U.S. Trade Representative's office announced it would continue to exclude certain solar manufacturing equipment and other products from existing tariffs on Chinese goods until August 31, offering a three-month extension while talks with Beijing continue.
Bessent led negotiations with China in Geneva last month that resulted in a temporary truce in the trade war between the world's two biggest economies, but progress since then has been slow, the U.S. Treasury chief told Fox News last week.
The U.S.-China agreement to dial back triple-digit tariffs for 90 days prompted a massive relief rally in global stocks. But it did nothing to address the underlying reasons for Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, mainly longstanding U.S. complaints about China's state-dominated, export-driven economic model, leaving those issues for future talks.
A U.S. trade court on Wednesday ruled that Trump overstepped his authority in imposing the bulk of his tariffs on imports from China and other countries under an emergency powers act. But less than 24 hours later, a federal appeals court reinstated the tariffs, saying it was pausing the trade court ruling to consider the government's appeal. The appeals court ordered the plaintiffs to respond by June 5 and the administration to respond by June 9.
Your gateway to global news, insights, and stories that matter.
AI Brief
- Trump and Xi are expected to speak to resolve trade issues after a shaky Geneva agreement on tariffs.
- The US extended tariff exemptions on some goods, but broader issues like mineral export restrictions remain unresolved.
- A US court briefly ruled Trump's tariffs unlawful, but an appeals court reinstated them pending further review.
Leavitt is the third top Trump aide to forecast an imminent call between the two leaders to iron out differences on last month's tariff agreement in Geneva, among larger trade issues.
It was not immediately clear when the two leaders will speak.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that Trump and Xi would speak "very soon" to iron out trade issues including a dispute over critical minerals and China's restrictions on exports of certain minerals.
Trump said on Friday he was sure that he would speak to Xi. China said in April that the two leaders had not had a conversation recently.
On Saturday, the U.S. Trade Representative's office announced it would continue to exclude certain solar manufacturing equipment and other products from existing tariffs on Chinese goods until August 31, offering a three-month extension while talks with Beijing continue.
Bessent led negotiations with China in Geneva last month that resulted in a temporary truce in the trade war between the world's two biggest economies, but progress since then has been slow, the U.S. Treasury chief told Fox News last week.
The U.S.-China agreement to dial back triple-digit tariffs for 90 days prompted a massive relief rally in global stocks. But it did nothing to address the underlying reasons for Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, mainly longstanding U.S. complaints about China's state-dominated, export-driven economic model, leaving those issues for future talks.
A U.S. trade court on Wednesday ruled that Trump overstepped his authority in imposing the bulk of his tariffs on imports from China and other countries under an emergency powers act. But less than 24 hours later, a federal appeals court reinstated the tariffs, saying it was pausing the trade court ruling to consider the government's appeal. The appeals court ordered the plaintiffs to respond by June 5 and the administration to respond by June 9.
