US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to discuss the future of TikTok’s US operations.
Trump announced afterward that a deal had been approved to sell TikTok’s US business to a group of American investors, though there has been no official confirmation from Beijing. Posting on Truth Social, Trump described the call as productive and expressed appreciation for Xi’s approval of the deal.
China’s state news agency reported on the talks in vague terms, quoting Xi as saying Beijing “welcomes discussions on TikTok.”
TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, had previously indicated its willingness to sell its US operations. The Trump administration has delayed a proposed ban on the app four times since January, with the latest deadline now extended until December.
Trump also confirmed that he and Xi plan to meet at the APEC summit in South Korea later this year, and that he has agreed to travel to China early next year. Xi, in turn, is expected to visit the United States “at the appropriate time.”
A key sticking point in negotiations is ownership of TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm, which influences content for its 170 million American users.
The Xi-Trump call was their second direct conversation this year, following four rounds of lower-level talks between Chinese and US officials. While the discussions have paused the introduction of steep tariffs and strict export controls, broader issues remain unresolved, including restrictions on technology exports, Chinese purchases of US agricultural products, and tariffs on Chinese goods tied to the fentanyl trade.
