Trump says he’s not ‘seeking’ summit with Xi

President Trump said that he is not looking for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, pushing back on reporting that the tariff talks this week could set the groundwork for a meeting with his counterpart.

“The Fake News is reporting that I am SEEKING a ‘Summit’ with President Xi of China. This is not correct, I am not SEEKING anything!” Trump said on Truth Social. “I may go to China, but it would only be at the invitation of President Xi, which has been extended. Otherwise, no interest! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Talks between the U.S. and China are going on in Stockholm this week with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his counterparts, which marks the third round of talks between the two nations.

The meeting could set up an extended tariff truce, which could lead to a meeting with Trump and Xi later this year, NBC News reported.

China and the U.S. are facing an Aug. 12 deadline following agreements announced in May and June that brought down mutually imposed triple-digit tariffs. For other trading partners, Trump has set an Aug. 1 deadline for the resumption of tariffs.

“We have a good relationship with China,” Trump said Monday. “China’s tough.”

The president last month said Xi was “extremely hard to make a deal” with and the two leaders have had a fraught relationship in recent years.