Donald Trump and Xi Jinping Prepare to Gather in South Korea while the Social Media Platform Agreement Receives Approval
US President President Trump stated plans to meet China’s Leader President Xi next month on Korean soil after a telephone conversation where the Chinese leader additionally approved a deal to take control of TikTok's US operations.
The President wrote on his social media platform their discussion was "fruitful" and China’s consent is "welcomed," adding that he would travel to the People’s Republic in the coming year after both leaders see each other.
TikTok, operated by China-based company Bytedance, had earlier been instructed it had to sell its US operations or risk being shut down.
The US leader, however, delayed implementing the prohibition on multiple occasions since it was first announced in January, and just days ago pushed back the deadline once more to December.
Advances on Economic Matters and Forthcoming Summit
Online, Trump wrote that the two "advanced discussions" regarding economic matters and would meet during the APEC summit in South Korea, set to start at the end of October.
This meeting, he added, will lead to a trip to the PRC and a subsequent visit by the Chinese president to the United States.
The App Deal Particulars
Trump offered little elaboration regarding the arrangement, something he mentioned recently that the call would confirm.
That deal is said to involve a group of US firms—reportedly featuring tech giant Oracle—that would enable TikTok to continue operating in the US, using algorithm technology licensed from ByteDance.
China has reportedly stated that its position regarding the app is "very clear" and that it supports firms to "conduct commercial negotiations following market rules and arrive at outcomes that comply with Chinese laws and a balance of interests."
"It is desired that the US will provide an open, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies operating within the United States," it added.
Partisan and Security Concerns
Speaking with UK Leader Sir Keir Starmer in the UK this week, Trump said he believes the app has "significant worth" to the US.
"Those backing the deal are among the top financiers in the world," he noted. "They will manage an excellent task—and we're doing it together with China."
Still, many US lawmakers—even members of Trump's own party—have expressed unease about the arrangement, citing persistent worries regarding ByteDance's links to the Chinese Communist Party.
"There is worry that the alleged licensing deal could entail ongoing reliance by the new TikTok on Chinese-developed software potentially enabling ongoing CCP control," Michigan Republican John Moolenar, head of the Congressional Panel on the Chinese Communist Party, said in a statement.
Change in Position and Legal Context
While Trump first demanded the platform face a ban in his previous administration, he has changed course, this week stated he viewed TikTok as a key part for his reelection bid.
At the start of the year, the US Supreme Court supported a regulation enacted in early 2024, banning TikTok unless its owner sold off its US operations. The app became inaccessible for a short time then, prior to the ban being postponed.
Federal prosecutors had previously raised alarms that the app’s data collection to the data of American citizens presented a national security threat with major implications.
Continuing Diplomatic Dialogue
This discussion between Xi and Trump is the second so far this year.
In June, both presidents spoke regarding Chinese shipments of critical materials, leading to Beijing consenting to approve a "certain number" of licenses to US companies, as well as the magnets produced using these.
Diplomats from both nations conducted multiple sessions of talks lately, until now held off on imposing extremely high tariffs and strict export controls.
America has already imposed 20% tariffs on some products from China deemed connected with fentanyl trafficking.
Additional challenges—including tech export restrictions and Chinese purchases of American farm goods—so far have not been settled.