Trump says Xi is ‘tough to make a deal with’

President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping is “very tough” and “extremely hard to make a deal with,” just days after accusing China of breaking a trade agreement that could help curb tariffs.

On Truth Social, Trump stressed his respect for Xi but noted the difficulty in negotiating.

The White House said Trump plans to speak with Xi this week to resolve issues from last month’s tariff agreement in Geneva.

Tensions are rising again between the US and China despite a May tariff truce. Washington recently restricted China’s access to jet engine parts, chip-design software, and Huawei’s chips. 

US officials also plan to revoke Chinese students’ visas. 

Geopolitical friction is growing, too, after a US defense chief warned about China’s threat to Taiwan. China has vowed to retaliate against new US restrictions.