Trump says Xi Jinping made progress on TikTok deal, will visit China in early 2026

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Friday that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping “made progress” on a deal to keep TikTok available in the United States and announced plans to visit Beijing early next year. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “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.” He added that the two leaders had agreed to meet at the APEC summit set for Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in South Korea, and that Xi would come to the United States “at an appropriate time.”

Trump said the call also touched on other topics, including trade relations and broader security concerns tied to the platform. He said the call went well, that they would speak again by phone, and that both sides were enthusiastic about an eventual meeting at APEC.

The TikTok issue has been a sticking point for years. Trump has delayed four separate times the implementation of a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to divest itself of the app or face a ban in the United States over national security concerns. The former president told reporters Thursday in England that he sees “value” in TikTok, arguing it helped boost his standing among young voters in the 2024 election.

The remarks reflect an effort to present diplomatic progress on a high-profile technology issue ahead of concrete steps in the coming years. The TikTok policy has remained a flashpoint in U.S. debates over data security, foreign influence, and the appropriate role of government in regulating social media platforms. The plan to require ByteDance to divest or face a ban has repeatedly stalled, with Trump publicly signaling openness to the app in some contexts while pressing for structural changes in others. While Friday’s message highlighted a positive trajectory, there was no independent confirmation from ByteDance or U.S. regulators in the notes accompanying the report.

The trip sequence outlined by Trump places the TikTok dispute at the center of ongoing U.S.-China discussions about technology, security, and economic competition. Officials have previously tied TikTok talks to broader geopolitical objectives, and officials in both capitals have indicated willingness to engage on multiple fronts. The APEC summit in South Korea provides a platform for bilateral conversations, and the note indicates Xi would visit the United States at an “appropriate time” after that encounter. Analysts cautioned that official details on a finalized divestiture or a formal approval of a TikTok deal remained unclear, and any eventual agreement would require scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and regulators.

As of now, there is no public timetable from ByteDance or U.S. authorities confirming a binding agreement or a concrete path to a U.S. approval. The evolving narrative surrounding TikTok underscores how American political calculations surrounding tech platforms continue to influence diplomacy, commerce, and national security considerations as the 2026 horizon draws nearer.