China denies Trump's statement that "President Xi called me"

 Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

中国、トランプ氏の「習主席が電話してきた」発言を否定

2025.04.29 Tue posted at 11:23 JST

  香港（ＣＮＮ） 中国政府は２８日、習近平（シーチンピン）国家主席とトランプ米大統領は最近電話会談を行っていないと発表し、両国間の関税戦争解決に向けた協議は行われていないことを改めて強調した。

この発表は、トランプ氏が２５日にタイム誌のインタビューで答えた、習氏から電話があったとの主張を全面的に否定するものだ。世界の２大経済大国である米中は、依然として極めて高額な貿易関税をめぐる対立に陥っている。

中国外務省の郭嘉昆副報道局長は定例記者会見で、「私の知る限り、両首脳の間で最近電話会談は行われていない」とし、「中国と米国は関税問題に関する協議や交渉を行っていないことを改めて強調したい」と述べた。

トランプ氏は先週、習氏を交渉の場に連れ出すため、中国製品に対する米国の高額な関税は「大きく下がる」と述べたほか、交渉のテーブルでは「とても親切に」振る舞うと約束するなど発言を軟化させている。しかし中国は貿易戦争に関して強硬な姿勢を崩していない。

トランプ氏はタイム誌のインタビューで、習氏について、「彼から電話があった。これは彼の弱さの表れではないと思う」と語った。同氏は習氏を何度も「友人」と呼んできた。

インタビューでは、電話の内容や日時について具体的な言及を避け、ＣＮＮの取材にも詳細を明かさなかったが、「彼とは何度も話をしている」とだけ述べた。

公開記録によると、両首脳が最後に電話で会談したのは１月１７日。トランプ氏の２期目の就任式の数日前だった。

トランプ氏は先週以降、政権が貿易協定締結に向けて中国当局と協議していると繰り返し表明しているが、そのたびに中国側はきっぱり否定している。

タイム誌のインタビューが公開される数時間前、中国外務省は米国に対し「国民を誤解させる」べきではないとけん制した。

トランプ氏が貿易戦争の緩和に意欲を示しているように見える一方で、中国政府はこれを一蹴し、米国に対し対中関税の全面撤廃を要求している。

Translation

China denies Trump's statement that "President Xi called me"

Hong Kong (CNN) The Chinese government announced on the 28th that President Xi Jinping and US President Trump did not have a phone call recently, and reiterated that there was no discussions to resolve the tariff war between the two countries.

This announcement completely denied Trump's claim in an interview with Time magazine on the 25th that Xi had called him. The world's two largest economies, the United States and China, remain locked in a conflict over extremely high trade tariffs.

At a regular press conference, Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆), deputy director of the Spokesperson's Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, "As far as I know, there has been no recent phone call between the two leaders," and "I would like to reiterate that China and the United States have not engaged in any discussions or negotiations regarding the tariff issue."

Trump, in order to bring Xi to the negotiating table, had softened his rhetoric last week, saying that the high U.S. tariffs on Chinese products would be "substantially lowered", and promising to behave "very kindly" at the negotiating table. But China had not backed down from its hardline stance on the trade war.

In an interview with Time magazine, Trump said of Xi that "He called me. I don't think this is a sign of weakness on his part." He repeatedly called Xi a "friend."

In the interview, he avoided specific mentions of the content or date of the call, and did not provide details to CNN, but said only that "I've spoken to him many times."

According to public records, the two leaders last spoke by phone on January 17, just days before Trump's inauguration for his second term.

Since last week, Trump had repeatedly stated that his administration was in talks with Chinese authorities to reach a trade agreement, but each time China resolutely​ denied it.

Hours before the Time interview was published, China's Foreign Ministry warned the U.S. not to "mislead the public” to keep it in check.

While Trump had appeared to signal his willingness to ease the trade war, Beijing rejected that and instead demanded the U.S. completely remove tariffs on China.

         So, recently Trump repeatedly stated that his administration was in talks with Chinese authorities to reach a trade agreement, but each time China resolutely denied it. It is an interest diplomatic argument between these two influential countries. I would like to know who is telling a lie.