Trump Says Xi Jinping A 'Very Smart Man', Claims He Will Likely Make Sort Of Deal To Ease US-China Trade War

Amid rising US-China tensions, Trump hiked tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%, yet called Xi Jinping a "smart man" and hinted a deal could still be on the horizon.

Chinese President Xi Jinping

Source : PTI

Amid the ongoing trade wars between the United States and China, in a turn of events, US President Donald Trump called his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, a "smart man". This comes after Trump announced to increase tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%, citing its continued disregard for global market norms.

"I think President Xi is a man who knows exactly what needs to be done. He's a very smart man. He loves his country. I know that for a fact. I know him very well," told reporters at the White House, according to the NDTV.

He said that Xi is likely going to make some sort of deal, and he said that at some point, the US will get a phone call.

"It is going to be a great thing for us, the world and for the humanity," the US President added.

This comes just a day after Trump declared a 90-day suspension of duties for over 75 countries, providing relief to numerous US allies. Since coming to power in January, Trump has introduced a slew of tariffs on various countries to address the alleged trade imbalance with the US.

On Wednesday said he was raising tariffs on Chinese imports to 125 percent, citing a "lack of respect" from Beijing.

"Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World's Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately. At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the US and other countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable," he posted on Truth Social.

"China wants to make a deal. They just don't know how quite to go about it...President Xi Jinping is a proud man. They don't know quite how to go about it, but they'll figure it out," he added.

‘Fight To The End’

China, which has pledged to resist the measures "to the end," responded to the 104 percent tariffs by announcing an increase in its own duties on US imports—from 34 percent to 84 percent—effective Thursday.

China also stated that it had filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO), accusing the Trump administration of employing "bullying" tactics. While it has previously matched each of the US President's tariff increases with retaliatory measures, Beijing has yet to respond to the most recent hike.