Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, indicated on Sunday that President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may soon hold a conversation regarding trade, although no exact date has yet been confirmed.
Speaking on ABC News’ “This Week,” Hassett stated, “President Trump, we expect, is going to have a wonderful conversation about the trade negotiations this week with President Xi, that’s our expectation.” He clarified that while the conversation has been discussed, a specific date has not been set. “But it has been discussed that the two of them will talk about the Geneva agreement, which we’re all very favourably inclined towards,” he said.
Hassett stressed that both Washington and Beijing have shown interest in resuming discussions. “The expectation is that both sides have expressed a willingness to talk,” he remarked, adding that dialogue between the two nations continues daily at other levels. He noted that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s team remains in constant communication with their Chinese counterparts in a bid to make progress.
A potential conversation between Trump and Xi would represent a significant development in U.S.–China trade negotiations. It would come just weeks after both leaders met in Switzerland and agreed to a 90-day truce aimed at de-escalating trade tensions.
However, relations soured again last week after President Trump accused China of breaching the preliminary agreement. In a social media post, he wrote, “So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!”
Trump also told reporters on Friday that he anticipated discussing the accusations directly with Xi. Meanwhile, other senior administration officials have voiced frustration with China’s perceived lack of urgency in the talks.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, appearing on Fox News, criticised Beijing for delaying the deal, saying, “I think slow-rolling is the right way to say it, and I think Donald Trump is on it.”
Similarly, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented last week that negotiations with China “are a bit stalled,” but remained hopeful that discussions would resume in the coming weeks.