The newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed trade and TikTok in a phone call on Friday, just days before Trump returns to the White House with promises to impose tariffs and other measures against America’s biggest rival.
Despite this, Xi congratulated Trump on his second term and pressed for the improvement of bilateral relations, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. The call took place on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a law banning TikTok unless it is sold by its parent company based in China.
“We both attach great importance to interaction and hope for a good start for China and the United States. We hope to have the best possible relationship between Washington and Beijing,” Xi said during the call.
Trump confirmed on his platform, “Truth Social,” that he had spoken with Xi, stating, “The call was very good for both China and the U.S.” They discussed trade and TikTok, among other topics, he added.
“President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the world more peaceful and secure!” Trump wrote.
Recent days have shown a warmer side to U.S.-China relations, which is expected to be one of the key focuses of Trump’s second term. During his campaign, Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods by up to 60%, later promising an additional 10% increase over accusations that China had failed to curb the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
Experts believe that Trump will expand controls over products sold in China. However, they also noted that Trump had promised to “save TikTok” despite attempts to ban the social media platform the last time he was in the White House.
After the Supreme Court’s ruling, Trump said on social media that “his decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I need time to review the situation!”