Trump and China’s Xi speak after president calls trade adversary ‘extremely hard to make deal with’

US, Chinese leaders speak after Trump calls Xi ‘very tough’ on Truth Social

Donald Trump spoke with China’s President Xi Jinping on Thursday as trade talks between the two nations continue with little public progress, according to Chinese state media.

The two leaders reportedly spoke in the early morning as the U.S. president seeks to convince the American media and voting electorate that his tariff agenda is forcing America’s trading partners to the table. So far, the Trump administration has failed to deliver on its promise of securing dozens of trade deals within the first six months of the president’s term.

A White House readout was not immediately available.

Trump, for his part, confirmed the news on Truth Social and said that China would roll back export controls on rare earth minerals that went into effect after an escalation of the US-China trade dispute in April.

“I just concluded a very good phone call with President Xi, of China, discussing some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal,” said Trump. “The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries. There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products.”

President Donald Trump spoke with China’s leader Xi Xinping on Thursday amid the growing trade war sparked by U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. (AFP/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

In the same message, Trump said that he and Xi extended invitations to visit their respective countries, which were accepted in turn.

“President Xi graciously invited the First Lady and me to visit China, and I reciprocated. As Presidents of two Great Nations, this is something that we both look forward to doing.”

Just a day earlier, Trump had swiped at his Chinese counterpart on the platform.

“I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!,” Trump wrote.

The president’s conversation with Xi comes after it was reported that the White House was desperate to make a breakthrough in the trade talks with Beijing, provoked by those export controls. China controls roughly 90 percent of the world’s production of rare earth minerals, which are critical for industries including automaking and arms production.

American and Chinese negotiators struck a 90-day truce on their respective tariff measures in mid-May, a deal which according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was supposed to halt the planned implementation of export controls on Chinese rare earth minerals.

The truce cut down so-called “reciprocal” tariff rates, which were over 100 percent in both countries, to 10 percent on American imports. Those tariffs stack on top of existing measures including the 10 percent duties levied on all US imports by Trump in a separate motion.

China, on Monday, accused the US of violating the same truce with export controls on AI chips. The Commerce Ministry warned that Beijing will “continue to take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”

Bessent, on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, made a prediction that bore out Thursday morning: “I am confident that when President Trump and party Chairman Xi have a call, that this will be ironed out.”