U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that he
will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, with the agenda
expected to include both trade disputes and the future of social media app
TikTok.
“I’m speaking with President Xi, as you know, on
Friday, having to do with TikTok, and also trade,” Trump told Fox News. “And
we’re very close to deals on all of it. And my relationship with China is very
good.”
The phone call will be the second between the two
leaders since Trump returned to the White House in January, and the third this
year. Both sides are under pressure to ease tensions after months of tariff
battles and uncertainty over TikTok’s U.S. operations.
TikTok in the Spotlight
Trump has repeatedly delayed a decision on banning
TikTok under a law that would force Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest
its U.S. operations for national security reasons. He now says he hopes to
“finalize something on TikTok.”
According to Trump, the plan would see TikTok’s U.S.
business “owned by all American investors, and very rich people and companies.”
The Wall Street Journal has reported that Oracle, along with investment firms
Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowitz, could be part of a consortium to take
control of the platform.
Trump claimed TikTok helped boost his popularity with
younger voters during the 2024 election. He has also rolled back efforts to
impose an outright ban, which had been pursued under his predecessor Joe Biden.
Trade Tensions and Tariff Deadlines
The talks come as Washington and Beijing face a
looming deadline on a temporary deal to reduce tariffs, which is due to expire
in November. Earlier this year, both countries sharply escalated duties, with
the U.S. imposing 30 percent tariffs on Chinese goods and China retaliating
with 10 percent on American products, disrupting global supply chains.
Analysts expect both Trump and Xi to frame the talks
as a win at home. “Each leader will aim to signal that he has outmaneuvered the
other,” said Ali Wyne of the International Crisis Group.
Geopolitical Undercurrents
The call also follows Xi’s high-profile summit this
month with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was invited to observe a military
parade in Beijing.
Trump, posting on his Truth Social platform, quipped:
“Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you
conspire against the United States of America.”
At the same time, Trump has sanctioned India over oil
purchases from Russia and urged European allies to target China for similar
transactions — though Washington has not imposed sanctions on Beijing itself.
“If they did that on China, I think the war (in Ukraine) would maybe end,”
Trump said.
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