President Donald Trump said in an interview published Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping has called him and that he has already made 200 deals regarding tariffs that he will announce in the weeks ahead.
But China says the two countries aren’t even talking.
During the interview with Time magazine, Trump said the U.S. is meeting with China to talk tariffs. Of Xi, Trump said: “He’s called. And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf.” But Trump said he would not call the Chinese leader himself.
Several Chinese officials have categorically denied that there have been any trade talks between the two nations. On Thursday, Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong told reporters, “At present there are absolutely no negotiations on the economy and trade between China and the U.S.,” adding that reports regarding progress on bilateral talks should be dismissed.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated on Friday that China and the U.S. have not consulted or negotiated on the tariff issue” and “the United States should not confuse the public.” A day earlier, Jiakun called reports of U.S.-China talks “fake news.”
As he left the White House on Friday for a trip to Italy, Trump was asked by reporters for more details on the supposed call with Xi. “I don’t want to comment on that but I’ve spoken to him many times,” Trump said.
The president also told Time that he’s made 200 deals regarding trade and tariffs. He said he would announce the deals “over the next three to four weeks, and we’re finished, by the way.”
Trump later said he’d be “finished” with the deals in three to four weeks. “Some countries may come back and ask for an adjustment, and I’ll consider that, but I’ll basically be, with great knowledge, setting — ready?”
Trump would not say what countries he has made deals with. There are 195 countries in the world.