China sought to depict a call between Xi Jinping and President Trump as an appeal from one strongman leader to another to run a tight ship and stay on course.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Donald Trump declared that Xi Jinping was “VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!” Some 36 hours later, the US leader said he got what he wanted: A commitment to restore the flow of rare earth magnets.

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call Thursday amid ongoing tensions between the two superpowers — with a new in-person meeting planned soon.

President Donald Trump said U.S. and Chinese teams will meet shortly after he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed trade in a phone call on Thursday, adding that there "should no longer be any questions" on rare earth products.

President Donald Trump, who’s been hit with “TACO” (Trump Always Chickens Out) taunts on his tariff threats, appeared to gripe about his bargaining difficulties with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Truth Social early Wednesday.

As the deadline for reactivating tariffs looms, the White House is pushing for a high-level dialogue with China. Amid renewed tensions and mutual accusations of breaching a previous trade agreement, President Trump aims to engage directly with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.