Trump, Xi to Discuss TikTok and Trade in Crucial Call

President Donald Trump says he will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday in a phone call that could decide the future of TikTok in the United States and shape the next phase of trade talks between Washington and Beijing.

“I’m speaking with President Xi, as you know, on Friday, having to do with TikTok, and also trade,” Trump told Fox News on Thursday. “We’re very close to deals on all of it. And my relationship with China is very good.”

The call will be only the second between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House in January, and comes as pressure mounts to resolve TikTok’s uncertain status. Under a U.S. law designed to address national security concerns, Chinese parent company ByteDance has been under orders to sell its U.S. operations. Trump has repeatedly delayed implementing a ban, saying he hopes to finalize a solution that keeps the app available to Americans.

The president suggested that a deal would leave TikTok “owned by all American investors, and very rich people and companies,” and credited the platform with boosting his appeal to younger voters, even claiming it helped him win the 2024 election.

Analysts expect the two leaders to use the call to claim diplomatic and economic wins ahead of upcoming deadlines. The U.S. and China earlier agreed to reduce tariffs after a bruising months-long trade war, but that deal is set to expire in November. Washington currently imposes 30 percent duties on Chinese imports, while Beijing maintains a 10 percent tariff on U.S. goods.

The conversation also comes against a tense geopolitical backdrop. Xi recently hosted a summit with Russia and India, and invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to a military parade in Beijing, a move Trump criticized, accusing Xi of “conspiring” with America’s rivals.

For now, all eyes are on whether Friday’s call can break the deadlock on TikTok and produce progress on tariffs before markets grow more jittery.

See also: TikTok’s Survival on the line

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