President Donald Trump poses for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan on June 29, 2019. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo Trade Trump says his friendship with Xi not as good

The U.S.-China trade war has taken a toll on President Donald Trump's friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"I used to say he was a good friend of mine," Trump said today at a White House event. "We're probably not quite as close now. But I have to be for our country. He's for China and I'm for USA, and that's the way it's got to be."


Trump campaigned in 2016 on reducing the trade deficit with China, and over the past year has imposed a 25 percent tariff on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods, as well as additional duties on Chinese steel and aluminum.

Trump met with Xi at the G-20 leaders meeting in Osaka, Japan, on June 29. The two leaders agreed to resume trade talks, which broke off in early May after the U.S. accused China of backtracking on previous commitments.

Top U.S. negotiators have since held a phone call with their Chinese counterparts, but they haven't set a date to meet face-to-face. In addition, China has not made any major agricultural purchases since the Osaka meeting, as Trump said they promised to do.

Meanwhile, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson today reiterated his government's plans to sanction companies involved in a recently announced U.S. military weapons sale to Taiwan.

"The arms sale to Taiwan has violated the basic norms of international law, international relations, and the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiqués [which helped establish diplomatic relations between Beijing and Washington]," ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

