On Thursday, June 5, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation at Trump’s request, marking their first direct communication since February. The call occurred amid escalating trade tensions between the two nations, particularly concerning disputes over critical minerals and accusations of violating a recent trade agreement.
In May, the U.S. and China had agreed to a 90-day reduction in tariffs, with the U.S. lowering rates on Chinese goods from over 145% to 30%, and China reducing its tariffs on U.S. goods from 125% to 10% . However, both sides have since accused each other of not honoring the agreement. The U.S. alleges that China is delaying exports of rare earth materials, while China contends that the U.S. is imposing new restrictions on technology exports .
The White House has not yet confirmed the details of the call. Analysts view the conversation as a potential step toward de-escalating the trade conflict, though no immediate breakthroughs were reported.
