U.S. President Donald Trump is set to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping as early as this week, according to Trump’s spokesperson. The conversation marks a key diplomatic engagement as the world’s two largest economies work toward a deal that could prevent a full-scale trade war.
On Saturday, Trump announced broad tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China, linking the move to demands for stricter measures against the flow of illegal fentanyl, a major contributor to drug overdoses in the U.S.
By Monday, Trump had withdrawn his threat to impose heavy tariffs on Mexico and Canada, but the tariffs on China remained scheduled to take effect within hours.
The upcoming call will be the first known discussion between Trump and Xi since Trump assumed office on January 20. The two leaders had previously spoken before his inauguration.
“It’ll take place in the next couple of days,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed regarding the call.
On Monday, the Republican president warned of further tariff hikes on China, having already imposed a 10% duty on all Chinese goods on Saturday, set to be enforced on Tuesday.
These tariffs fell short of Trump’s campaign pledge to impose a 60% tariff on Chinese imports. However, on Monday, he referred to the initial measures as just an “opening salvo.”
The U.S. has accused China of being the primary source of precursor chemicals used by Mexican drug cartels to synthesize fentanyl. While China asserts it has taken significant actions to curb the flow of these chemicals and combat illicit drug trade, Trump issued a stern warning.
“China hopefully is going to stop sending us fentanyl, and if they’re not, the tariffs are going to go substantially higher,” he stated. “China will be dealt with,” he added.
Despite its long-standing opposition to tariffs, China responded with relatively restrained criticism and indicated a willingness to engage in negotiations.
A source familiar with the matter suggested that Beijing may seek a deal with Trump to postpone or halt the tariffs.
Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar surged to a record high against the offshore Chinese yuan and remained near those levels on Monday.
