US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he "appreciates" his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, but that it is "very difficult to make a deal" with him as the two countries engage in a trade war over tariffs.
"I appreciate President Xi and have always liked him and will continue to like him, but it's very difficult," Trump wrote on his social media network, Truth Social.
This coincided with the decision to raise tariffs on US steel and aluminum imports to 50 percent on Wednesday.