Trump, Xi to Meet in South Korea as TikTok Deal Approved

President Donald Trump said he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea next month after a phone call in which Beijing approved a deal to keep TikTok operating in the United States. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the call was 'productive' and the approval was 'appreciated,' adding that he would travel to China next year after the two leaders meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit late in October.

Trump said the talks yielded progress on trade issues and that the TikTok agreement would be formally confirmed in due course. He described the APEC meeting in South Korea as the platform for the initial discussion, with a subsequent visit to China and a Xi visit to the United States to follow.

The TikTok deal, as described by sources, would see a group of U.S. firms — reportedly including Oracle — oversee the TikTok business in the United States, with ByteDance continuing to provide access to the app’s algorithm under a licensing arrangement. The arrangement would allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. while addressing earlier concerns raised by U.S. regulators and lawmakers about data security and national sovereignty.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency quoted Beijing as saying its position on TikTok is 'very clear' and that it welcomed firms to conduct negotiations based on market rules and to reach solutions that comply with Chinese laws and regulations while balancing interests. The report emphasized China’s desire for an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing in the United States.

Some U.S. lawmakers remain wary of the licensing plan. Michigan Republican Representative John Moolenar, chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said he was concerned the licensing could leave TikTok's platform dependent on a ByteDance algorithm that could continue to enable CCP control or influence, even after a change in ownership or management.

Trump has been clear that TikTok occupies a notable place in his political narrative. In London, where he stood alongside British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Trump said TikTok has 'tremendous value' to the United States and that the people investing in it are among the world's greatest. He also asserted that the platform’s administration would be handled 'in conjunction with China.'

The shift in stance on TikTok reflects a broader, long-running debate over technology, national security, and Chinese influence that has defined U.S.-China relations over the past several years. While the Supreme Court’s ruling in January upheld a law requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. TikTok operations or face a ban, the app briefly went dark before a postponement allowed continued operation under the new terms, and the Department of Justice had warned about the potential national-security threats posed by TikTok’s access to U.S. user data.

The Xi-Trump call is the second high-level exchange this year after a June conversation about China’s export of rare earth minerals. That discussion led to China agreeing to issue a 'certain number' of export permits for magnets and other materials used in U.S. industry, while several thorny issues remained unresolved, including tech export restrictions and Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products. The two sides have also conducted four rounds of talks in recent months while avoiding the imposition of extremely high tariffs beyond those already in place, and Washington has kept a 20% tariff on certain Chinese goods tied to fentanyl trafficking in place.

Separately, officials say the TikTok arrangement is designed to address concerns about data security and access, while allowing the platform to continue serving American users and advertisers. But critics warn that any licensing framework could still leave room for Chinese influence or influence by ByteDance through algorithm access, which would complicate efforts to allay national-security concerns.

As the leaders prepare for a potential meeting in the coming weeks and a broader diplomatic itinerary that includes a Chinese trip and a U.S. visit by Xi, the world will watch whether the latest concession on TikTok signals a broader willingness to resolve disputes between the two nations on technology, trade, and security. The talks come amid ongoing negotiations on export controls, supply chains, and regulatory compliance, with the final resolution likely to hinge on how practical details are implemented in the coming months.