WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has said that China has “reached out a number of times” to the United States in an effort to restart talks on a possible trade deal, which he believes the two major economic powers is possible to defuse trade tensions.

“Yeah, we’re talking to China,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I would say they have reached out a number of times.” 

Trump confirmed that the talks had taken place since he increased tariffs on China to a staggering 145 percent, after Beijing responded to his sweeping “Liberation Day” global levies.

But Trump was evasive when asked if he had spoken directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping, despite having previously dropped several hints that he had.

“I’ve never said whether or not they’ve happened,” he said when asked about talks with Xi. “It’s just not appropriate.”

Pressed by reporters on whether Xi had reached out to him, Trump replied: “You’d think it was pretty obvious that he has, but we will talk about that soon.”

Trump’s administration is entrenched in a trade war of soaring reciprocal tariffs with superpower rival China—a feud that has rattled global markets.

“I think we’re going to make a very good deal with China,” he said at the White House earlier, as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited for talks aimed at ending US tariffs on the European Union.