U.S. President Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping held a phone call on the evening of September 19 (Singapore time), during which they exchanged views on a range of issues—including the operation of TikTok in the United States. Shortly after the call, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, issued a statement in the early hours of September 20, reaffirming its commitment to advancing related work in accordance with China law.

In a statement released via its official WeChat account, ByteDance expressed appreciation to both leaders:
“We thank President Xi Jinping and President Trump for their attention to TikTok. ByteDance will proceed with relevant work in accordance with China law to ensure TikTok’s U.S. operations continue to serve American users.”

According to a report by Xinhua News Agency on the evening of September 19, President Xi emphasized during the call that China’s position on the TikTok issue is clear. The China government respects the autonomy of enterprises and supports them in conducting commercial negotiations based on market principles, with the goal of reaching solutions that comply with China laws and regulations while balancing the interests of all parties involved.

President Xi also stressed that he hopes the U.S. will provide a fair, open, and non-discriminatory business environment for China companies investing in the United States.

Following the call, President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the discussion lasted nearly two hours and described it as “a very good conversation.” He noted that the two leaders touched on a wide range of topics, including trade and the war in Ukraine, and confirmed that they reached a consensus on the TikTok agreement, which he said is progressing smoothly. Trump also stated that China is supportive of TikTok continuing its operations in the U.S.

This marks the third phone call between Trump and Xi since Trump’s return to the White House for a second term. Their first call took place before Trump’s inauguration, initiated by Xi at Trump’s request. The second occurred in June this year, during which the two leaders discussed China’s restrictions on rare earth exports.