The two leaders spoke by phone on Thursday, following weeks of worsening tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Trump says he respects Xi, values US-China ties, supports one-China policy, and hopes for strong Chinese economy

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.