Washington, DC [US], June 3 (ANI): US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are “likely” to engage in direct talks later this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Monday, according to a report by ABC News.
Speaking to reporters, Leavitt stated, “I can confirm that the two leaders will likely talk this week,” adding that a readout would be provided if the call takes place. Her statement follows comments made Sunday by White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, who also signaled an expectation of upcoming talks between the two leaders, though he did not specify a date.
The development comes amid renewed tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade issues. On May 30, President Trump accused China of breaching a recently negotiated trade agreement aimed at suspending high tariffs for 90 days. The agreement, reached last month during talks in Geneva, was meant to ease escalating trade tensions between the two global powers.
In a post on Truth Social, 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… Many factories closed and there was, to put it mildly, ‘civil unrest.’ I saw what was happening and didn’t like it… I made a FAST DEAL with China in order to save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation… 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.”
China responded on Monday by rejecting Trump’s accusations and alleging that the United States had instigated “new economic and trade frictions.”
The original deal was hailed as a breakthrough by US officials. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking from Geneva at the time, said the negotiations made “substantial progress” and praised the Swiss government for hosting the meetings. “We will be giving details tomorrow, but I can tell you that the talks were productive,” Bessent said.
US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, who also participated in the talks, remarked on the surprising speed with which both sides reached an agreement. “This was a very constructive two days… perhaps the differences were not as large as initially believed,” he said.
Greer added that the trade agreement was a step toward addressing the United States’ substantial trade deficit with China, estimated at USD 1.2 trillion. “The President declared a national emergency and imposed tariffs. We’re confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us to work toward resolving that national emergency,” Greer said.
The prospective call between Presidents Trump and Xi could be pivotal in either stabilizing or escalating bilateral relations, depending on the outcomes of their discussions and each side’s approach to the contentious trade issues. (ANI)
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