Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first known phone conversation in three months, in which two topics dominated—the future of TikTok in the US and trade relations between the world's two largest economies.
The conversation took place ahead of a possible summit meeting of heads of state and government at the APEC forum in South Korea at the end of October.
TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, faces a ban in the US unless it is transferred to American ownership by January 2025.
However, Trump is not enforcing the law for the time being, allegedly for fear of losing the support of young voters. He admitted that the app helped him in the elections and considers it a valuable tool.
According to available information, an agreement is being prepared under which TikTok would be transferred to American owners but would continue to use ByteDance's algorithms – which worries American lawmakers because of the potential risks posed by Chinese influence.
The phone call also touched on other sensitive issues such as tariffs, semiconductors, the export of fentanyl chemicals, and Taiwan.
On the eve of the conversation, China released an American banker, suggesting efforts to ease tensions.
(reuters, red)