China’s government flat-out said on Monday that President Xi Jinping has not spoken with President Trump recently, killing any idea once again that the two leaders were secretly chatting to fix their trade war.

Donald Trump faces global scrutiny. Xi Jinping confronts internal challenges. Purges within China's military raise concerns about loyalty. Key generals have disappeared. Xi aims for a fourth term in 2027.

The Chinese foreign ministry on Monday, said President Xi Jinping had not spoken to Donald Trump recently, nor were their respective administrations trying to strike a tariff deal. This is in contradiction to the US president’s claim in an interview with Time magazine that he and the Chinese president had spoken.