US President Donald Trump on Friday hailed a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), saying a deal to sell TikTok could be a “formality” and that he would visit China, which gave a more cautious assessment of their talks.
The leaders spoke by telephone for the second time since Trump’s return to the White House, who has tried to keep a lid on tensions, despite his once virulent criticism of China.
The US has forcefully sought to take TikTok, the social media platform hugely popular with young Americans that Trump has also used to garner support, out of Chinese hands.
Photo: EPA
Xi “approved” the deal during the phone call, Trump said, adding that, “we have to get it signed... I guess it could be a formality.”
China did not confirm any agreement.
“We’re going to have a very, very tight control,” Trump said. “There’s tremendous value with TikTok, and I’m a little prejudiced, because I frankly did so well on it.”
Xi also promised to work with the US on ending the war in Ukraine, he said.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that he and Xi “made progress on many very important issues,” including TikTok.
He also said he would meet Xi on the sidelines of an APEC summit in South Korea starting at the end of next month and that he would travel to China next year.
Xi would likewise visit the US at an unspecified time and that the two leaders would speak again by telephone, Trump said.
China offered a sterner take on the talks.
“On the TikTok issue, Xi noted that China’s position is clear: the Chinese government respects the will of enterprises and welcomes them to conduct business negotiations based on market rules, to reach solutions that balance interests and comply with Chinese laws and regulations,” a statement said. “China hopes the US side will provide an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing in the United States.”
The US Congress last year passed a law to force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations or face the app’s ban, citing national security concerns.
However, Trump on Tuesday once again put off a ban of the app.
In a statement early yesterday, ByteDance thanked Xi and Trump “for their concern about TikTok.”
“ByteDance will move forward with the relevant work in accordance with Chinese law, ensuring that TikTok US continues to serve its vast American user base,” the company said.
Asia Society Policy Institute senior vice president Wendy Cutler said that many details, including who would control the algorithm powering TikTok, were still unclear and many other irritants remained.
“Beijing is displaying a willingness to play hardball, and a need to get paid by Washington for any concessions it makes,” she said.
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