Trump Drops Hints About Secret Calls With Xi Amid Tariff Tango and Trade Drama

Did President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping really chat about trade, or is it all smoke and mirrors? The confusion thickened Friday as Trump told reporters at the White House he’s spoken with Xi "many times"—but stopped short of confirming whether those talks happened after he slammed China with punishing tariffs.

Pressed for actual details, Trump stuck to his signature cryptic style, promising to "let you know at the appropriate time." Just another day of suspense in Washington, folks.

As the president prepared to jet off to Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral, questions swirled about whether the U.S. and China are actually negotiating a tariff truce. Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods have surged to a staggering 145%, sending a jolt through global stock markets and supply chains, while China fired back with a 125% tariff on American imports. Not exactly a recipe for global harmony.

In an interview published Friday, Trump claimed Xi had personally called him to talk trade. He described himself as the owner of "a giant, beautiful store"—and in this metaphor, other countries are the eager shoppers, but only if they’re willing to pay his price. If Trump ever opens an actual store, you can bet the clearance rack will be a battlefield.

Asked about his famously hard-charging trade adviser’s bold promise of "90 deals in 90 days," Trump insisted, "We’re meeting with China. We’re doing fine with everybody. But ultimately, I’ve made all the deals." Confidence, as always, is not in short supply.

Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that the sky-high 145% tariff rate on Chinese imports will be slashed "substantially"—though it "won’t be zero." Still, nobody’s packing away the calculators yet, since China’s government is adamant: there are no tariff talks happening. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun denied any negotiations, adding that China is always open to "consultations and dialogues," but only on equal terms. Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yadong echoed this, stressing mutual respect as a non-negotiable.

When told about Beijing’s denial, Trump responded with his usual flair for intrigue: "We may reveal it later, but they had meetings this morning, and we’ve been meeting with China." He then threw in, "it doesn’t matter who they is." Let’s just say, clarity was not on the menu.

Despite the crossfire of claims and denials, Trump remains upbeat about clinching a trade deal. "One hundred forty-five percent is very high, and it won’t be that high," he repeated from the Oval Office, leaving Americans—and Chinese exporters—wondering what the final price tag will be.