Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump hailed on Friday a call with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, claiming a deal to sell blockbuster app TikTok could be a “formality” and saying he would visit China, which gave a more cautious assessment of their talks. The leaders of the world’s two largest economies spoke by telephone for the second time since the return to the White House of Trump, who has tried to keep a lid on tensions despite his once virulent criticism of China.
The United States has forcefully sought to take TikTok, the social media platform hugely popular with young Americans that Trump has also used to garner support, out of Chinese hands. Trump said that Xi “approved” the deal during the phone call, but later said: “We have to get it signed…I guess it could be a formality.” China did not confirm any agreement. “We’re going to have a very, very tight control,” Trump said. “There’s tremendous value with TikTok, and I’m a little prejudiced because I frankly did so well on it.”
He also said that Xi promised to work with the United States on ending the war in Ukraine, where China is accused by Western nations of indirectly supporting Russia’s invasion, even though Beijing says it is a neutral party. Trump said earlier in a post on Truth Social that he and Xi “made progress on many very important issues” including TikTok. He said he would meet Xi on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea starting at the end of next month and that he would travel to China next year. Trump said Xi would also visit the United States at an unspecified time and that the two leaders would speak again by telephone.
China offered a sterner take on the talks. “On the TikTok issue, Xi noted that China’s position is clear: the Chinese government respects the will of enterprises and welcomes them to conduct business negotiations based on market rules, to reach solutions that balance interests and comply with Chinese laws and regulations,” a statement said. “China hopes the US side will provide an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing in the United States,” it added. It described the call as “frank and in-depth.”
Last year, during Joe Biden’s presidency, the US Congress passed a law to force TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell its US operations or face the app’s ban, citing national security concerns. US policymakers, including in Trump’s first term, have warned that China could use TikTok to mine data from Americans or exert influence on what they see on social media. But Trump, an avid social media user, on Tuesday once again put off a ban of the app.
In a statement early on Saturday, ByteDance thanked Xi and Trump “for their concern about TikTok.” “ByteDance will move forward with the relevant work in accordance with Chinese law, ensuring that TikTok US continues to serve its vast American user base,” the company said. Investors reportedly being eyed to take over the app include Oracle, the tech firm owned by Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest people. Ellison is a supporter of Trump, meaning TikTok could become the latest media or social media app to come under the influence of the president.
Wendy Cutler, a former US trade official who is now senior vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, said that many details, including who would control the algorithm powering TikTok, were still unclear and many other irritants remained. “Beijing is displaying a willingness to play hardball, and a need to get paid by Washington for any concessions it makes,” she said.
While on the campaign trail, Trump bashed China relentlessly as an enemy, but since returning to office he has spoken of his strong relationship with Xi. Both sides dramatically hiked tariffs against each other during a months-long dispute earlier this year, disrupting global supply chains. Washington and Beijing then reached a deal to reduce levies, with the United States imposing 30 percent duties on imports of Chinese goods and China hitting US products with a 10 percent tariff. The deal expires in November.
The phone talks came after Trump accused Xi of conspiring against the United States with a major military parade to mark the end of World War II that brought the leaders of Russia and North Korea to Beijing. The Chinese statement said Xi voiced appreciation to Trump for the US role in World War II.
© 2024 AFP
