President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke on Thursday at a time when stalled tariff negotiations between their two countries have roiled global trade. The conversation was reported by Xinhua, a Chinese state media outlet. The White House did not immediately comment.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that China's President Xi Jinping was "extremely hard to make a deal with," the latest comment from officials expressing frustration with striking a trade agreement.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that China's President Xi Jinping was "extremely hard" to make a deal with. A senior White House official told CNBC earlier on Monday that Trump and Xi are likely to speak this week.