In a Truth Social post, Trump added that he and Xi agreed to meet at the APEC summit in South Korea and undertake reciprocal visits to each other’s countries.
“I just completed a very productive call with President Xi of China. We made progress on many very important issues including Trade, Fentanyl, the need to bring the War between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the approval of the TikTok Deal. I also agreed with President Xi that we would meet at the APEC Summit in South Korea, that I would go to China in the early part of next year, and that President Xi would, likewise, come to the United States at an appropriate time. The call was a very good one, we will be speaking again by phone, appreciate the TikTok approval, and both look forward to meeting at APEC!” Trump wrote on Truth.
‘Refrain from imposing unilateral restrictions’: Xi to Trump
Xi Jinping, on his part, told Trump that Washington should “refrain from imposing unilateral trade restrictions,” as the two leaders held what Beijing described as “positive” and “constructive” talks covering the future of TikTok and the broader U.S.-China relationship, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Xi stressed that “China-U.S. relations are very important” and said Beijing’s stance on TikTok was “clear,” while clarifying that the Chinese government “respects the wishes of firms” and hopes Washington will provide an “open and fair environment for Chinese companies.”
The two leaders spoke by telephone, in a call closely watched for its implications on the future of TikTok and the course of Sino-American trade relations.
“Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by telephone with US President Donald Trump,” state broadcaster CCTV and the Xinhua news agency said, confirming the start of the conversation around 8 a.m. Washington time, according to both Chinese media and a White House official.
The discussion marked Trump’s second direct engagement with Xi since his return to the White House, a period defined by the reimposition of sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing’s retaliatory restrictions. The two leaders were expected to use the call to push toward finalizing an agreement that would allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States.
Trump has repeatedly delayed his own deadlines for the app’s restructuring, demanding that ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, divest its controlling stake. The president, who has credited the platform with helping him secure reelection, has signaled a willingness to negotiate a settlement with Beijing that could resolve the standoff.
Trade policy was also on the table, with both capitals seeking to stabilize ties after years of tit-for-tat measures.
TikTok deal: Trump pushes for US ownership
TikTok was a central focus of the Trump–Xi call, with the U.S. president saying he hoped to “finalize something on TikTok.”
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Trump said: “I’m speaking with President Xi, as you know, on Friday, having to do with TikTok, and also trade. And we’re very close to deals on all of it. And my relationship with China is very good.”
The popular video-sharing platform has long been caught in the crossfire of U.S.-China tensions. Trump has repeatedly delayed a ban under a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its American operations over national security concerns. He told reporters Thursday that under the emerging deal, TikTok’s U.S. business would be “owned by all American investors, and very rich people and companies.”
Trump has made no secret of the app’s political value, claiming that TikTok helped him win younger voters and secure his 2024 election victory.
Earlier this week, he again extended the ban deadline originally imposed by his predecessor Joe Biden. According to the Wall Street Journal, Oracle and California-based investment firms Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowitz are among those floated as part of a potential U.S. consortium to control TikTok.
Tariffs and trade
The leaders’ phone call also came against the backdrop of intense negotiations over tariffs. Earlier this year, Washington and Beijing sharply raised duties on each other’s goods, roiling global supply chains.
A temporary truce saw both sides agree to lower levies — 30 percent on Chinese exports to the U.S. and 10 percent on American goods bound for China — but that arrangement is due to expire in November.
Analysts expect both Xi and Trump to frame any outcome as a personal victory. “Each leader will aim to signal that he has outmaneuvered the other” in the trade talks, Ali Wyne of the International Crisis Group noted.
Trump has kept up public pressure on Beijing in the run-up to Friday’s call.
In a post on Truth Social earlier this month, he wrote to Xi: “Please give my warmest regards to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you conspire against the United States of America.” He has also urged European countries to sanction China for purchasing Russian oil, even though Washington itself has not taken that step. “If they did that on China, I think the war (in Ukraine) would maybe end,” Trump told Fox News.
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