Trump hints at trade deal, end to TikTok saga in run-up to China summit
The US president struck an optimistic tone on Air Force One while commenting on an expected meeting with Xi Jinping later this week
US President Donald Trump has said a final ownership deal on TikTok could be struck during an expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, a summit that would build on the latest round of trade talks between representatives of the world’s two largest economies in Malaysia.
When asked whether he anticipated a concrete deal over Chinese firm ByteDance’s divestment of the American version of its short-video app – a persistent sticking point in bilateral relations – Trump said it was possible.
“We might. That’ll be one of the things we’re discussing,” Trump told the press on Air Force One en route to Japan from Malaysia, according to an audio record shared by the White House on Monday.
“We got an original approval from President Xi. I expect we’ll have an approval, but I’d rather wait a couple of days to let you know.”
His remarks come ahead of a potential meeting with the Chinese leader at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Forum in South Korea on Thursday.