Trump Drops Bombshell After 'Lengthy' Xi Call: Surprise Summit Set, TikTok's Fate on the Line!

WASHINGTON — In a stunning announcement that sent ripples through the geopolitical landscape, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed on Friday that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set to meet, following what he described as a lengthy and productive phone call between the heads of the world's two largest economies.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump laid out a whirlwind diplomatic schedule. He declared his intention to meet with Xi at a regional summit in South Korea at the end of October. This high-stakes face-to-face meeting would be followed by a presidential visit to China in the early part of next year. Trump also added that President Xi would travel to the United States “at an appropriate time,” suggesting a potential de-escalation in the often-frosty relations between the two nations.

TikTok Deal Sees 'Progress'

Adding another layer of intrigue, Trump claimed the two leaders had made significant headway on the contentious issue of TikTok. He mentioned progress on “the approval of the TikTok Deal,” a crucial arrangement designed to allow the wildly popular social media app to continue its operations in the United States, but he offered no further specifics on the breakthrough.

The app's future has been in jeopardy amid U.S. concerns over its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, and the potential for user data to be accessed by Beijing. The proposed deal would involve a sale of a controlling stake to a U.S. entity to allay these national security fears.

Beijing's Cautious Response

However, the official statement from Beijing painted a more reserved picture. The Chinese government’s readout of the call conspicuously omitted any mention of the upcoming visits or summits that Trump had announced. Furthermore, it provided no clarity on whether Xi had agreed to the terms of the TikTok sale.

Instead, the Chinese statement highlighted a different aspect of the conversation. It noted that President Xi had cautioned Trump against imposing further trade restrictions, urging him to prevent the already strained trade relationship from deteriorating. While the call was described as cordial, the divergence in public statements underscores the delicate and complex negotiations happening behind the scenes.

The world will now be watching closely to see if the late-October summit in South Korea materializes. The outcome of that potential meeting could not only determine the fate of a beloved app but also signal a new chapter in U.S.-China relations.