President Donald Trump delivered a blunt assessment of Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, calling him “very tough” and “extremely hard to make a deal with,” even as the two leaders prepare for another high-stakes conversation on tariffs and trade.
The comments came via Trump’s Truth Social platform, where he acknowledged his long-standing relationship with Xi—but made it clear the gloves are off when it comes to negotiating with China.
“I like President XI of China, always have, and always will,” Trump wrote. “But he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!”
The message was posted just days before a scheduled call between Trump and Xi, which White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett confirmed is expected to take place this week. According to Hassett, the goal of the call is to hash out the next phase of ongoing trade negotiations.
The conversation comes at a tense moment. Trump recently imposed sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports, some as high as 145%, in response to Beijing’s retaliatory measures and what he sees as repeated violations of previous agreements.
“I made a FAST DEAL with China in order to save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation,” Trump said in a separate post last Friday. “Because of this deal, everything quickly stabilized and China got back to business as usual. Everybody was happy!”
But according to Trump, that optimism was short-lived.
“The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!” he added.
This breakdown in trust has reshaped the tone of U.S.-China trade policy. Trump’s administration has emphasized tough enforcement and reciprocity, demanding that partner nations deliver fair deals or face penalties. The Biden administration’s previously weak stance, Trump allies argue, emboldened China to flout international norms and left American industries exposed.
As of this week, Trump has also instructed several U.S. allies to present their best trade proposals by Wednesday as part of a broader effort to reset global trade agreements under his America First policy.
Trump’s re-escalation with China reflects a deeper belief: Beijing cannot be trusted unless held to strict accountability measures. Many of his top advisers, including Hassett and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, have echoed this skepticism, warning that temporary concessions from China often unravel once the heat dies down.
The White House has not yet released details about the expected phone call with Xi, but the stakes are clearly rising. Trump’s latest tariff hikes have already begun to ripple through markets, and the possibility of a full-scale trade standoff looms if no agreement is reached soon.
In the meantime, Trump continues to stress that his policies are rooted in common sense and long-overdue fairness.
“We’re not going to let China walk all over us anymore,” a senior administration official told Fox News. “They broke the last deal, and now we’re going to show them that America isn’t backing down.”
With Biden-era diplomatic entanglements and sweetheart trade gestures in the rearview mirror, Trump’s reassertion of tough-nosed strategy toward China appears to be resonating. Whether that leads to a new deal or another round of economic warfare remains to be seen—but one thing’s clear: the President is no longer pulling punches.
