Trump says Xi is 'very tough' and 'extremely hard to make a deal with'

Ahead of a scheduled call to discuss tariffs and trade, President Donald Trump said he likes China's Xi Jinping but finds the Chinese leader very tough and difficult to make a deal with.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. (Fox News)

"President Trump, we expect, is going to have a wonderful conversation about the trade negotiations this week with President Xi. That's our expectation," Hassett said Sunday during an interview on ABC News' "This Week."

Trump's plans for a call come after he leveled tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods following the president's reciprocal tariff plans in April, when China retaliated against the U.S. with tariffs of their own. 

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China and the U.S. reached a preliminary trade agreement last month, which Trump said China violated in a Truth Social post on Friday. 

President Donald Trump holds a "Foreign Trade Barriers" document as he delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo)

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Trump's administration is holding trade talks simultaneously with countries across the globe. They requested many of those countries to submit their best trade deal offers by Wednesday.

Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

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