Donald Trump will meet with Xi Jinping in person for the first time during his second term at the APEC Summit in South Korea this fall.
The president said he will also visit China early next year and that his counterpart will come to the U.S. ‘at an appropriate time.’
The 2025 APEC Summit takes place October 31 and November 1 – it’s not clear when the two world leaders will hold their meeting. Trump last came face-to-face with Xi on June 29, 2019 in Osaka, Japan during the G20 Summit.
Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Friday morning in a call where the two discussed a range of topics including the ongoing tariff standoff and reaching a deal to allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S.
But it appears the two are no closer to reaching a deal after the multi-hour call.
‘The call was a very good one, we will be speaking again by phone, appreciate the TikTok approval, and both look forward to meeting at APEC!’ Trump posted to Truth Social.
Banning of TikTok has been put off for nearly a year as the Trump administration on Wednesday again delayed enforcement on the popular video-sharing social media app of an executive order that targets all those controlled by foreign adversaries.
At 8:00 a.m., Trump hopped on a call with Xi to discuss ongoing negotiations for the Chinese-owned app to continue conducting business in the U.S.
But Republican lawmakers say they would only be happy if Chinese-owned internet technology company ByteDance sells TikTok to a company not affiliated or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or any other U.S. adversaries.
Beyond the app, the call Friday morning indicates that two leaders might meet in person to hash out a final agreement to end the U.S.-China tariff standoff.
It’s the second call Trump has had with Xi since returning to the White House in January and immediately imposing hefty tariffs on Beijing and launching a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
The two spoke in June to defuse tensions over China’s restrictions on exporting rare earth elements, which are used in everything from smartphones to fighter jets.
‘I’m speaking with President Xi, as you know, on Friday, having to do with TikTok and also trade,’ Trump previewed on Thursday. ‘And we’re very close to deals on all of it.’
Trump has expressed his willingness to negotiate with China on a range of topics.
And young Americans specifically are hopeful this would include a deal on TikTok, which is on track to be banned in the U.S. if its Chinese parent company doesn’t sell controlling stake.
While Trump said in his post on Friday ‘appreciate the TikTok approval,’ its not exactly clear what he was referencing and if the two leaders are any closer to reaching a deal.
The Republican control in Washington, D.C. has increased focus on stifling Chinese influence in the U.S. when it comes to sensitive data and food products.
The last time Xi visited the U.S. was November 15 and 16, 2023, for the APEC Summit in San Francisco, California, where he participated in a bilateral meeting with then-President Joe Biden.
It’s not clear when he will come back, but Trump’s social media announcement suggests it will be after the U.S. president makes his trip to China in early 2026.
