US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in person in six weeks in South Korea during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju.
The plan for the face-to-face summit was confirmed during a phone call earlier this week, the first between the two leaders in three months, which also addressed trade, fentanyl trafficking, and the Russia-Ukraine war.
The two-hour conversation was described as constructive, with both sides signalling progress and agreeing to continue consultations ahead of the summit.
Trump also said he would visit China early next year, while Xi would travel to the United States at a later date. The call appeared to lower tensions, although no binding agreements were announced, reports said.
A major focus of the discussion was the future of TikTok in the United States. Trump indicated that a potential deal is moving forward to keep the app operational while transferring US assets from Chinese owner ByteDance to American ownership.
Negotiations include the ownership structure, the extent of China’s control, US oversight including possible board representation, and other operational arrangements.
Trump said tight controls would be in place and that a fee for facilitating the deal could be part of the agreement, though terms are still being finalised.
China stated that it respects the company’s wishes and emphasised non-discriminatory treatment for its businesses. ByteDance also expressed gratitude for the leaders’ attention and said it would work to continue serving US users while meeting Chinese legal requirements.
Congress has set a January 2025 deadline for the sale or shutdown of TikTok in the United States, making an agreement essential for the app’s continued operation.
Both countries have committed to continuing discussions on TikTok and other economic and security issues during the upcoming Asia-Pacific forum and through future bilateral meetings, signalling a cautious but constructive approach to managing the complex US-China relationship.
