Trump said in his Truth Social post that the hour-and-a-half conversation phone call was “focused almost entirely on TRADE,” while the Chinese readout singled out Xi’s stern warning on Taiwan – the reddest of lines for Beijing – and the issue of Chinese student visas.

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.

President Trump said on Friday that China is violating the "fast deal" it made with the nation to pare back tariffs during negotiations.