Trump speaks to Chinese President Xi, announces TikTok 'approval'

Washington, Sep 19 (IANS) US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, announcing that the Chinese leader has approved the TikTok deal, which would allow the social media app to keep operating in the US.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he "appreciates the TikTok approval" and looked forward to meeting President Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea next month.

"I just completed a very productive call with President Xi of China. We made progress on many very important issues including Trade, Fentanyl, the need to bring the War between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the approval of the TikTok Deal. I also agreed with President Xi that we would meet at the APEC Summit in South Korea, that I would go to China in the early part of next year, and that President Xi would, likewise, come to the United States at an appropriate time," Trump wrote.

The Chinese readout said that the two leaders had a "pragmatic, positive, and constructive" phone call.

On TikTok, Xi asserted that China has a "clear" position that it "respects the wishes of companies and welcomes them to conduct commercial negotiations based on market rules and reach solutions that comply with Chinese laws and regulations and balance interests".

He also said that China "hopes that the US will provide an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies to invest in the US".

President Xi hailed the "recent consultations between the two teams", which he believed "demonstrated the spirit of equality, respect, and mutual benefit".

The Chinese President also warned that the "US should refrain from taking unilateral trade restrictive measures to prevent undermining the achievements made through multiple rounds of consultations".

Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced that it had reached a framework agreement with China on TikTok after two days of discussions in Madrid, Spain.

The talks were led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the American side, and by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and top trade negotiator Li Chenggang on the Chinese side.

"We have a framework for a TikTok deal," Bessent said in Madrid.

Both sides have not released details of the TikTok agreement yet.

--IANS

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