U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a phone call on Friday to discuss the future of the popular video‑sharing app TikTok and trade relations between the two countries. It was their second conversation since Trump began his second term in January. According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV and the Xinhua news agency, the call began with Trump stating that they would discuss “TikTok and also trade.”
The talks come as the United States and China seek a compromise on tariffs, a major point of contention after both nations imposed significant duties on each other’s goods earlier this year, disrupting global supply chains. A deal to reduce these levies is set to expire in November; the United States currently imposes a 30 % duty on Chinese products, while China has placed a 10 % tariff on U.S. goods.
TikTok has been a central issue. Trump has repeatedly delayed a ban on the app under a U.S. law that would force its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations for national‑security reasons. He said he hopes to “finalize something on TikTok,” possibly involving a consortium of American investors that includes tech giant Oracle and California investment funds Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowitz.
The phone call follows a major summit organized by Xi this month with the leaders of Russia and India, as well as an invitation to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to observe a military parade in Beijing. Trump has criticized China’s relations with these countries, particularly its purchase of Russian oil, and has urged European nations to sanction China for doing so.
Experts view the talks as a chance for both leaders to demonstrate their negotiating prowess. Ali Wyne, a specialist in U.S.–China relations, predicts the discussion will focus on tariffs and aim to showcase each side’s ability to outmaneuver the other. The outcome will have significant implications for the global economy and the future of U.S.–China relations. As the deadline for the tariff‑reduction agreement approaches, investors and businesses worldwide are watching closely for any resolution to the tariffs dispute and the fate of TikTok.
Comments are closed for this story.