China’s leaders are downplaying the potential impact from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, saying they have the capacity to protect jobs and limit damage from higher tariffs on Chinese exports.

Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Xi Jinping to call him for discussions about a potential trade deal. But any off-ramp to the economic tensions will likely run through Vice Premier He Lifeng, who is Xi's Sino-American trade tsar.

President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught raised levies on China to 145% in early April, since then cargo shipments have plummeted, perhaps by as much as 60%. That drastic reduction in goods from one of the largest US trading partners hasn't been felt by many Americans yet,