The Trump administration has been saying that the two countries are engaged in talks to resolve the dispute, but Beijing asserts that no such discussions are happening.

Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, a billionaire supporter of President Donald Trump and a megadonor to Republican candidates, had some unusually harsh words for the president about his trade war: It’s hurting America’s standing in the world and eroding the nation’s brand.

U.S. President Donald Trump asserted in an interview published Friday that tariff negotiations were underway with China, but Beijing denied any talks were taking place, the latest in a series of conflicting signals over what progress was being made to de-escalate a trade war threatening to sap global growth.

President Donald Trump has said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has called him but did not say if any of those communications took place since he imposed stiff tariffs on the communist nation.

Pres. Trump insists the two sides are "actively" discussing tariffs, while a Chinese official says there have been no negotiations, let alone an agreement.