China’s government flat-out said on Monday that President Xi Jinping has not spoken with President Trump recently, killing any idea once again that the two leaders were secretly chatting to fix their trade war.

China's foreign ministry on Monday said President Xi Jinping had not spoken to Donald Trump recently, nor were their respective administrations trying to strike a tariff deal, contradicting the U.S. president's claim in an interview with Time magazine.

The Senate confirmed the next U.S. ambassador to China Tuesday during an especially tense time between the two nations. Former Republican Sen. David Perdue was confirmed in a 67-29 vote. Fifty-one Republicans,