US president Donald Trump said he plans to meet Chinese Premier Xi Jinping in South Korea next month following a phone call in which the Chinese leader also approved of a deal to take control of TikTok's US operations.
Trump wrote on Truth Social the call was productive and the approval was appreciated, adding that he would travel to China next year after the two meet.
TikTok, which is run by Chinese firm Bytedance, was previously told it had to sell its US operations or risk being shut down.
Trump, however, delayed implementing the ban four times since it was first announced in January, and earlier this week extended the deadline again to December.
In his post, Trump wrote the two made progress on trade issues and would meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea, scheduled to begin at the end of October.
That, he said, would be followed by a visit to China and a subsequent visit by Xi to the US.
The president provided no further details on the TikTok deal, which he said earlier this week that the call would confirm.
That deal will reportedly see a group of US firms - said to include Oracle - enabling TikTok to continue operating in the US, utilizing algorithm technology licensed from ByteDance.
Xinhua reported that China's position on TikTok is very clear and that it welcomed firms to conduct commercial negotiations based on market rules and reach solutions that comply with Chinese laws and regulations and a balance of interests.
We hope that the US will provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies to invest in the United States, it added.
Speaking alongside British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the UK on Thursday, Trump said he believes TikTok has tremendous value to the US.
Still, many US lawmakers - including some from within Trump's own party - have expressed unease with the deal, citing ongoing concerns about ByteDance's links with the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP.
I am concerned the reported licensing deal may involve ongoing reliance by the new TikTok on a ByteDance algorithm that could allow continued CCP control or influence, Michigan Republican representative John Moolenar said.
While Trump initially called for TikTok to be banned during his first term, he has changed course, and on Thursday said he viewed the platform as a key part of his 2024 electoral campaign.
The US Justice Department had previously expressed concerns that TikTok's access to the data of US users posed a national security threat.
The call between Xi and Trump is the second so far this year, following an earlier discussion in June about China's export of rare earth minerals.
Chinese and US officials have met multiple times, with high tariffs and strict export controls so far on hold.
