Beijing is going on an international charm campaign to coax other countries hit hard by “Liberation Day” tariffs to take on the U.S.

Jokes and memes have proliferated on social media in China, which is trying to promote the perception that it has the upper hand in its trade impasse with the U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump asserted in an interview published on Friday that tariff negotiations were under way with China, but Beijing denied any talks were taking place, the latest in a series of conflicting signals over what progress was being made to de-escalate a trade war threatening to sap global growth.

President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had called him, and there are active talks to strike a trade deal, according to Time. But a Chinese official has denied that any such talks are happening.

President Donald Trump said his administration was talking with China on trade, after Beijing denied the existence of negotiations on a deal and demanded the US revoke all unilateral tariffs.

Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had “called” him, despite denials from Beijing that talks to ease trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies had started. The US president also made the claim that he had sealed “200 deals” on trade,

The president was cryptic about the deals he says he's reached but said he would give more details in a few weeks.

South Korea's Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said on Saturday that Seoul plans to approach trade talks with the United States "calmly and cautiously."

South Koreas Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said Seoul will approach trade negotiations with the United States calmly and cautiously, emphasizing a strategic stance as discussions move forward. Speaking to reporters

The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) said that South Korea and the United States agreed to seek "expedient and meaningful" progress toward "reciprocal and balanced" trade during a bilateral meeting in Washington the previous day.