Washington/Beijing, September 20(HS): US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a crucial phone call on Friday to cement an agreement that will allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States, a breakthrough seen as easing months of tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV confirmed the leaders spoke for the first time in three months, while Trump announced later that the TikTok deal had been “approved.” He also revealed plans to visit China in early 2026, following an expected in-person meeting with Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea on October 30-November 1.
The agreement comes as Trump faces a January 2025 congressional deadline mandating TikTok’s shutdown in the US unless its American assets were spun off from Chinese owner ByteDance. Under the reported framework, TikTok’s US operations would transfer to American ownership, though its widely used algorithm would still rely on ByteDance technology.
Trump, who has consistently resisted enforcing an outright ban, said TikTok carried “tremendous value” and credited the platform with boosting his political outreach. “I like TikTok; it helped get me elected,” he remarked this week, underscoring the app’s importance in digital campaigning.
While Trump hailed the latest breakthrough, questions linger over the precise ownership structure of the US entity, how much control China will retain, and whether Congress will give its blessing. Lawmakers remain concerned over national security and potential Chinese influence, though Beijing insists the app poses no threat.
The call also covered broader trade issues. Xi emphasized the importance of avoiding unilateral restrictions, according to Xinhua, even as Trump has sharply raised tariffs on Chinese imports since returning to office in January. Both sides remain at odds over semiconductors, rare-earth exports, and fentanyl-related chemicals — flashpoints that have fueled an escalating tariff war.
Still, the TikTok deal is seen as a symbolic cooling of tensions. In a gesture of goodwill, Beijing recently permitted the return of Wells Fargo banker Chenyue Mao, previously blocked from leaving China.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the call was “a very good one,” adding that he looked forward to meeting Xi at APEC and again during his visit to China next year. Xi, for his part, was quoted as affirming that “heads-of-state diplomacy” plays an irreplaceable role in guiding US-China relations.
Despite disputes over technology, trade and geopolitical flashpoints like Taiwan and the South China Sea, the latest breakthrough suggests both leaders are willing to keep vital channels open — with TikTok emerging unexpectedly as both bargaining chip and bridge in the fraught superpower rivalry.
This story is from a syndicated feed. the content has not been edited by The Central Post staff.
