Beijing on Monday firmly denied that any recent phone call had taken place between President Xi Jinping and former US President Donald Trump, despite Trump's claims to the contrary.

The two largest global economies remain locked in an escalating trade war, with US tariffs on Chinese goods now reaching up to 145 percent on many products.

In an interview with TIME magazine conducted on April 22 and published Friday, Trump asserted that Xi had personally called him, even though Beijing has consistently refuted any such communication regarding the ongoing trade dispute.

Trump did not clarify when the alleged call occurred or provide details about the conversation.

When asked about Trump's remarks during a press briefing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated, "As far as I know, there has been no phone call between the two heads of state recently."

He further emphasized, "China and the United States are not engaged in consultations or negotiations concerning tariff issues at this time."