By Laurie Chen, Michael Martina BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -When the leaders of some of the world's largest companies flocked to Beijing for a business forum last month, their main purpose was a coveted meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

President Donald Trump misjudged Beijing by calculating that it would cave into economic pressure, leaving the US unprepared to handle the current tariff standoff, according to an adviser to China’s Foreign Ministry.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied reports of a phone conversation between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, as mentioned by the U.S. President. Main information The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied information about a phone conversation between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.