U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss a possible agreement on Friday that could keep TikTok operational in the United States, while also helping to reduce friction in U.S.-China relations.
According to U.S. officials, the leaders’ phone call will mark their first direct conversation in three months. The talks will center on TikTok’s future and broader trade issues. Although Beijing has yet to confirm the meeting, Reuters reported that the two governments are also considering arranging a face-to-face summit at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in South Korea from October 30 to November 1.
At the heart of the debate is TikTok’s U.S. ownership. Congress mandated that the app be shut down for American users by January 2025 if Chinese parent company ByteDance did not divest its U.S. assets. While the law is on the books, Trump has so far declined to enforce it, citing concerns about alienating TikTok’s massive user base and its political influence.
“I like TikTok; it helped get me elected,” Trump told reporters on Thursday. “TikTok has tremendous value. The United States has that value in its hand because we’re the ones that have to approve it.”
The deal under discussion would reportedly shift TikTok’s U.S. assets to American ownership but allow the platform to continue using ByteDance’s algorithm. That proposal has alarmed lawmakers who worry it could leave the door open to Chinese government influence or surveillance.
China, however, insists that TikTok poses no national security risks. Still, questions remain about the final ownership structure, Beijing’s role, and whether Congress will accept the arrangement. For both Trump and Xi, securing a TikTok compromise could serve as a rare point of cooperation amid broader economic and geopolitical tensions.
Trump and Xi Push for TikTok Deal to Ease US-China Tensions
