US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephonic conversation, Xinhua News reported on Friday.
Prior to the call between the two leaders, US media had reported that President Trump declined to approve USD 400 million in military aid to Taiwan. This decision is seen as part of his effort to negotiate a trade deal with China. Additionally, Trump is striving to arrange a summit with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, according to US media reports. The Trump administration is generally seeking to soften relations with Beijing.
A White House representative stated that the aid package decision has not been finalized and may be reviewed.
According to local US media outlets, Trump and Xi were expected to discuss a deal to confirm the framework for separating the TikTok app from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to avoid a US ban. “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,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.
Last year, former US President Joe Biden enacted a law mandating that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, based in China, sell off the app or face a ban in the US due to national security concerns. A US federal law was scheduled to take effect in January this year, requiring ByteDance to find a non-Chinese owner or face a ban in the US. Trump later extended the deadline.
Chinese and US officials held a new round of trade talks in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday and Monday, following previous discussions in Switzerland, Britain, and Sweden.
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