• A phone call between former President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to finalize an agreement allowing TikTok to continue operating in the U.S.
  • The deal is part of broader trade talks that include significant Chinese commitments to purchase American agricultural and aviation exports.
  • The outcome could pave the way for reciprocal state visits and signal a thaw in U.S.-China tech and trade tensions.

A Pivotal Diplomatic Engagement

Former President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled for a high-stakes phone call Friday at 9 a.m. ET, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. The primary objective of the discussion is to finalize key elements of a bilateral agreement, most notably a framework that would allow TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to keep the popular social media app operational in the United States.

The call represents a significant de-escalation after years of legal and regulatory uncertainty for TikTok, which faced a potential ban under a U.S. law enacted in January 2025. The law required the app to be sold to a non-Chinese entity due to national security concerns over data privacy. Trump’s administration, however, granted temporary extensions to its enforcement deadlines to pursue a negotiated settlement, efforts that now appear to be reaching a conclusion.

Broader Trade Implications

Parallel to the TikTok negotiations, both governments are working toward significant trade commitments. The framework under discussion includes a deal for large Chinese purchases of American goods, notably agricultural products like soybeans and potentially aircraft from Boeing, according to people briefed on the talks.

This diplomatic engagement follows what have been described as productive trade discussions held recently in Europe. Officials are also engaging on other sensitive issues, including mineral supply chains and fentanyl trafficking, reflecting a broader push to manage differences between the two economic superpowers.

A spokesperson for the U.S. delegation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A ByteDance representative declined to comment.

Setting the Stage for Future Diplomacy

The call is also closely linked to preparations for reciprocal state visits. Trump is expected to travel to China in the coming months, and a visit by Xi to the U.S. within the next year is also under consideration, the people said. A successful outcome on Friday would serve as a major confidence-building measure, potentially tempering market anxieties around U.S.-China tech decoupling and fueling export growth for key American industries.

While a deal would provide a stable regulatory path for TikTok and its vast American user base, it is unlikely to completely silence its critics in Congress, where bipartisan concerns over data security and digital influence persist. The agreement could, however, establish a new precedent for how foreign tech platforms operate within liberal democracies amid ongoing global debates over tech sovereignty.