U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephonic conversation Friday, focusing on U.S.-China trade tensions, the pending TikTok ownership deal, and plans for renewed diplomatic engagement.
The U.S. president announced that he plans to visit to China early next year.
The call comes amid renewed efforts to stabilize relations between the world’s two largest economies, which have been strained by tariffs, export controls, and concerns over Chinese tech companies operating in the U.S.
Trump said the conversation was “very productive,” touching on major bilateral issues, including a path forward on trade, fentanyl flows, and the Russia-Ukraine war.
A key topic was the ongoing negotiations over TikTok, the popular video-sharing app with 170 million U.S. users.
Under a U.S. law passed last year, TikTok faces a ban unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests its U.S. operations to American ownership.
Trump indicated that a deal was close and thanked Xi for what he described as China’s “approval” of the agreement, though no finalized deal has been officially confirmed.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier this week that both sides had reached a framework agreement, with discussions involving data security, algorithm licensing, and the appointment of a U.S.-based partner to handle American user data.
Trump extended the deadline for a resolution to December 16.
US, China reach framework deal on TikTok’s future as ban looms
According to Chinese state media, the leaders had a “candid and constructive” exchange.
President Xi reportedly emphasized that the U.S. should avoid restrictive trade actions that could undermine months of negotiations and called for a fair environment for Chinese businesses in the U.S. Xi also reaffirmed Beijing’s position that companies should resolve commercial issues in line with market rules and Chinese law.
Trump and Xi agreed to meet in person at the APEC summit in South Korea in November, followed by a presidential visit to China in early 2026.
He said Xi may also visit the U.S. at a later date, and both sides are expected to maintain open lines of communication in the lead-up to those meetings.
The call marks only the second direct conversation between the two since Trump returned to office and revived hardline trade policies, including tariffs that once soared as high as 145% during a peak in tensions.
Though some duties have since been reduced under a temporary agreement, those reductions are set to expire on November 10 unless a new deal is reached.
Talks also touched on intellectual property rights, fentanyl trafficking, and U.S. export restrictions on technologies like semiconductors.
Analysts say the renewed engagement signals a mutual interest in recalibrating ties, with both leaders seeking to leverage the upcoming summits to deliver concrete outcomes.
Ali Imran is a Washington-based journalist, who has worked for leading world news organizations as correspondent, expert and in editorial positions. He is a published author and poet.
