President Trump said he had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping since his oath last month, suggesting that he had spoken for several days after he imposed tariffs on Beijing.
“I happen to like him so much, President XI,” Trump said.
When Fox News' Brett Bayer asked if he had spoken to XI since the inauguration, he replied, “Yeah, I spoke to him.”
“We have a very good personal relationship,” Trump said. He also added that he knows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is “better than anyone else.”
Trump said he was “not in a hurry” to talk to XI on Tuesday.
He followed the tariffs in China after delaying 25% tariffs for a month in Canada and Mexico. He later signed an executive order temporarily preventing low-cost packages from China from being slapped at his new tariffs.
And on Monday, Trump signed a declaration to strengthen all steel and aluminum imports to the United States, cracking down on attempts to avoid China and Russia's penalties.
Beijing hit the US last week with a full retaliation fee, imposing a 15% tariff on liquefied natural gas and coal, and a 10% tariff on crude oil, pickup trucks, agricultural machinery and large vehicles.
Meanwhile, Trump said he would launch mutual tariffs this week, claiming he believes mutual tariffs are a fair approach, as opposed to flat rates.
