Amid a deepening trade standoff, former U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that Washington and Beijing are engaged in talks over tariffs, expressing confidence that both sides will eventually strike a deal to end the prolonged economic dispute.

"Yes, we're talking to China. I’d say they’ve reached out several times," Trump told reporters during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Oval Office.

Despite imposing a steep 145 per cent tariff on Chinese goods—a historic high—Trump revealed that communications with Beijing have continued. The tariffs were a response to what he called “Liberation Day” levies, announced on April 2, prompting swift retaliation from China.

Asked whether he had personally spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump avoided a direct answer, saying, "I’ve never said whether or not they’ve happened. It’s just not appropriate." However, when pressed further, he hinted at Xi's outreach, stating, "You’d think it was pretty obvious that he has, but we’ll talk about that soon."

The tit-for-tat tariff war between the world’s two largest economies has shaken global financial markets. Yet Trump struck an optimistic tone during his meeting with Meloni, stating, "I think we're going to make a very good deal with China." The leaders also discussed U.S. tariffs on the European Union, underscoring the broader global trade tensions under Trump’s economic agenda.

The White House reiterated Trump’s position on Tuesday, stressing that the onus is on Beijing to revive stalled negotiations. “The ball is in China’s court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don’t have to make a deal with them,” said a statement from Trump, read aloud by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during a briefing.

“There’s no difference between China and any other country—except that they’re much larger,” Leavitt added.