China has denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that Chinese President Xi Jinping called him recently, amid ongoing tensions between the two countries over a trade war, according to CNN News. A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, said at a press conference on Monday that there had been no recent phone call between the two leaders. "As far as I know, there has been no recent phone call between the two heads of state," Guo stated. He also emphasized that China and the United States are not engaged in talks or negotiations to resolve the ongoing tariff dispute.

China has denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that Chinese President Xi Jinping called him recently, amid ongoing tensions between the two countries over a trade war, according to CNN News. A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, said at a press conference on Monday that there had been no recent phone call between the two leaders. "As far as I know, there has been no recent phone call between the two heads of state," Guo stated. He also emphasized that China and the United States are not engaged in talks or negotiations to resolve the ongoing tariff dispute. Trump had claimed in an interview with Time magazine last week that Xi had called him, but he did not provide details about the conversation or when it happened. "He's called. And I don't think that's a sign of weakness on his behalf," Trump said in the interview. He has also described Xi as a "friend." When asked about the claim by CNN, Trump said, “I’ve spoken to him many times,” but did not elaborate further. The last known phone conversation between Trump and Xi took place on January 17, just days before Trump’s second-term inauguration. Despite Trump’s softened tone on the trade war, where he said US tariffs on Chinese goods might be lowered, China has stuck to its tough stance. Beijing has repeatedly rejected any suggestion of ongoing trade talks with the US. “We urge the US not to mislead the public about trade negotiations,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Trump has promised to negotiate a trade deal with China but has also insisted that China should take steps to address issues like tariffs. However, China has been firm in its demand for the removal of all tariffs. Since taking office again, Trump has imposed heavy tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese goods, with exceptions for electronics like smartphones and computers. Meanwhile, China has raised tariffs on US products to 125%, though it has recently made some adjustments to tariffs on certain American-made semiconductors to ease the impact on its technology industry.

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