US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone on Friday for the first time since June, amid heightened trade tensions and ongoing talks to secure an agreement that would allow short video app TikTok to continue operating in the United States.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, which first reported the call, did not release details of the conversation. The White House has not yet commented either.
The phone call comes amid parallel negotiations on trade and technology issues, with Washington pressing Beijing on tariffs and market access while also seeking security guarantees over TikTok’s data.
The US has threatened to ban the app unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells its US operations or complies with strict data localisation and oversight requirements.
The leaders’ call is also seen as preparation for a possible face-to-face meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, scheduled for October 30–November 1, according to news agency Reuters.
