The phone call between Trump and Xi Jinping came ahead of US looking to finalise a deal on ownershipp transfer of TikTok, the vide sharing platform owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation on Friday, their first since June, against the backdrop of escalating trade tensions and negotiations aimed at ensuring TikTokโs continued operation in the United States.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, which initially reported the call, did not disclose the specifics of the discussion, and the White House has also not issued a statement so far.
US-China tariff tensions
It marks the second phone call with Xi since Trumpโs return to the White House and first after June,ย during which he imposed steep tariffs on China, sparking a cycle of retaliatory trade measures that strained relations between the worldโs two largest economies.
Despite the tensions, Trump has signalled a willingness to negotiate trade deals with Beijing, particularly regarding the social video platform TikTok, which faces a US ban unless its Chinese parent company divests its controlling stake.
The two leaders had previously spoken in June to ease friction over Chinaโs curbs on the export of rare earth elements, vital for products ranging from smartphones to fighter jets.
โI’m speaking with President Xi, as you know, on Friday, having to do with TikTok and also trade,โ Trump said Thursday. โAnd we’re very close to deals on all of it.โ
He added that his relationship with China is โvery goodโ but argued that Russia’s war in Ukraine could be brought to an end if European countries imposed higher tariffs on China. Trump did not clarify whether he intended to raise tariffs on Beijing over its purchases of Russian oil, as he has with India.
Trump’s TikTok deal with China
After a US-China trade meeting in Madrid earlier this week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said both sides had agreed on a framework for TikTokโs ownership, with Trump and Xi expected to finalise the arrangement on Friday.
Trump, who has credited the app with playing a role in his re-election, has repeatedly extended the deadline for TikTok to be separated from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The divestment is required under a law passed last year aimed at addressing data privacy and national security risks.
Trump said TikTok โhas tremendous valueโ and that the US โhas that value in its hand because we’re the ones that have to approve it.โ
American officials have raised concerns about ByteDanceโs Chinese ties, citing laws that compel Chinese companies to share data with the government. They have also flagged the companyโs proprietary algorithm, which determines the content shown to TikTok users, as another major issue.
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