US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping recently had a phone chat, as reported by China’s official Xinhua News Agency. This call comes amid ongoing efforts to ease trade tensions between the two superpowers.
Before the leaders spoke, US media buzzed with reports that Trump held back on approving $400 million in military aid to Taiwan. Why? Sources told The Washington Post he’s prioritizing a big trade deal with China. Trump is pushing hard for a summit with Xi to seal this agreement, according to the newspaper’s exclusive scoop on Thursday. Overall, the Trump administration wants to warm up relations with Beijing after years of friction.
A White House spokesperson clarified that the Taiwan aid decision isn’t set in stone—it could still change after review. On the trade front, Trump and Xi likely talked about TikTok, the popular short-video app. US outlets say they aimed to lock in a deal that would split TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to dodge a nationwide ban in America.
Trump himself sounded optimistic earlier this week. On Tuesday, while speaking to reporters outside the White House, he said, “We have a deal on TikTok. I’ve reached a deal with China. I’m going to speak to President Xi on Friday to confirm everything up,” as quoted by the New York Post.
Remember, this all stems from a law signed by former President Joe Biden last year. It forced ByteDance to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese owner or face a US ban over national security worries tied to its Chinese roots. The deadline was set for January this year, but Trump pushed it back.
Adding to the momentum, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shared good news at a Madrid press conference on September 14. He announced that the US and China have a framework deal to keep TikTok running smoothly in America.
These talks aren’t happening in a vacuum. Chinese and US trade teams just wrapped up a fresh round of discussions in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday and Monday. This follows earlier meetings in Switzerland, the UK, and Sweden, Xinhua noted.
China’s international trade rep, Li Chenggang—who’s also vice minister of commerce—praised the progress. He told Xinhua that both sides had open talks on TikTok and related issues. They agreed on a basic framework to solve problems through teamwork, cut investment hurdles, and boost economic and trade relations between the US and China.
One key backdrop: China views Taiwan as its own territory and has promised to reunify with the island, even by force if needed. This makes any US moves on Taiwan aid a sensitive topic in US-China trade talks.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
