US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone on Friday, marking their first direct conversation since June. The discussion came amid escalating trade tensions and ongoing efforts to secure a deal that would allow the popular short-video app TikTok to continue operating in the United States.
“I’m speaking with President Xi, as you know, on Friday, having to do with TikTok and also trade,” Trump said on Thursday. “And we’re very close to deals on all of it,” he added, hinting at progress on multiple fronts.
TikTok’s Future in the US at the Center
At the heart of the conversation was the fate of TikTok, whose parent company, China-based ByteDance, has been under intense scrutiny from Washington. US officials have repeatedly warned that the app could be banned unless ByteDance sells its American operations or implements strict data oversight measures. Concerns revolve around the potential for the Chinese government to access user data or manipulate content algorithms.
A potential solution could involve a US-specific version of TikTok, with all user data stored domestically. Last year, Congress passed legislation mandating a shutdown of TikTok for American users by January 2025 unless the company divested its US business. Trump has extended this deadline multiple times, now pushing it to mid-December as negotiations continue
TikTok has “tremendous value,” President Trump said ahead of speaking to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
The U.S. is working “in conjunction with China” and is “pretty close to a deal” for TikTok to avoid a ban in the U.S., Trump said. https://t.co/OfwdzeON6l pic.twitter.com/ekf5d37dBz
— ABC News (@ABC) September 18, 2025
Despite security concerns, Trump has praised TikTok, noting its influence on younger voters and political engagement. “TikTok has tremendous value, and the United States has that value in its hand because we’re the ones that have to approve it,” he said.
Trade Tensions Remain a Key Issue
The leaders also discussed broader US-China trade issues, including Trump’s high-stakes tariff regime. Since January, Trump has sharply increased duties on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese imports, triggering retaliatory tariffs from Beijing and pushing trade tensions to levels not seen in decades.
While a temporary “tariff truce” in August paused the most severe hikes, major disagreements persist. These include China’s commitments to purchase US agricultural products, export restrictions on advanced technology such as semiconductors, and the ongoing flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States.
Trump has consistently defended tariffs as a tool to revive American manufacturing and rebalance trade. However, analysts warn that prolonged trade disputes could damage both economies amid a slowdown in global growth.
Eyes on APEC Summit
Friday’s call is also seen as laying the groundwork for a potential face-to-face meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, scheduled for October 30–November 1. Chinese officials have not confirmed a meeting but emphasized that high-level engagement is critical for providing strategic guidance in China-US relations.
As negotiations continue on both trade and technology fronts, all eyes are on how TikTok’s future and the broader economic relationship between the world’s two largest economies will be shaped in the coming months.
