Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social that his call with Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, had focused entirely on the trade relationship between the nations, which has soured in recent months in a dispute over the export of critical minerals used in an array of industries.

Earlier this week, China hit back on Trump’s claims the Asian country was in breach of a new trade agreement, struck last month following talks held in Geneva, Switzerland, countering that the U.S. itself was undermining the deal with new sanctions.

The Trump administration has recently rolled out a series of new export control measures targeting China. While these moves are officially justified on national security grounds, it’s clear that they also serve as a strategic tool to pressure Beijing and gain leverage in ongoing trade negotiations.