US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are “likely” to speak this week, the White House confirmed on Monday, according to ABC News. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters that if the call occurs, an official readout will be released.
The anticipated conversation comes amid rising tensions over trade, following Trump’s recent accusation that China violated a trade agreement struck in Geneva last month. Leavitt confirmed, “The two leaders will likely talk this week. And as always, when foreign leaders call, we will provide a readout of those calls.”
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett had earlier indicated on ABC’s “This Week” that a Trump-Xi call was expected, though no specific date was provided.
On May 30, Trump claimed via his Truth Social account that China had “totally violated” the Geneva agreement. He accused Beijing of undermining a deal he claimed was made to rescue China from economic turmoil caused by US tariffs.
“Two weeks ago, China was in grave economic danger,” Trump wrote. “The very high tariffs I set made it virtually impossible for China to trade into the United States… I made a fast deal with China… The bad news is that China… has totally violated its agreement with us.”
China swiftly rejected the accusations, asserting that the US was provoking new economic and trade frictions.
The Geneva agreement, brokered earlier in May, was initially hailed as a breakthrough in the ongoing trade dispute. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the talks as “substantially productive,” while US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer emphasized the speed and cooperation in reaching the agreement.
Greer also noted that the deal was aimed at addressing the US’s $1.2 trillion trade deficit with China, which had prompted the administration to declare a national emergency and implement steep tariffs.
Despite this progress, the recent allegations and expected talks suggest that tensions remain high between the world’s two largest economies.