At the center of the latest trade storm between the U.S. and China is He Lifeng. Since He became vice premier in early 2023, China's leader Xi Jinping has essentially put him in charge of fortifying the nation’s economy against the effects of U.

In response to President Trump’s claim, China said the United States was the one introducing a series of “discriminatory restrictive measures.”

President Trump said on Friday that China is violating the "fast deal" it made with the nation to pare back tariffs during negotiations.