Washington, DC [US], January 17 : US President-elect Donald Trump held a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and discussed a range of issues including trade, fentanyl and TikTok on Friday.
Stressing the expectation that the two global leaders will "solve many problems together," the President-elect said they would do "everything possible" to make the world "more peaceful and safe."
"I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the USA. It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing trade, fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the world more peaceful and safe!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Notably, TikTok is facing a potential ban in the US. The popular short-video app is preparing to shut down its operations in the country by Sunday if the proposed legislation goes ahead. The ban would require TikTok to sever all business ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or cease its US operations by January 19.
If the app does not comply with the legislation, users will soon see a notice explaining the situation, with instructions on downloading their data before TikTok becomes unusable.
Despite ByteDance's refusal to sell TikTok's US operations, lawmakers continue to debate the implications for both US users and the broader tech industry, with the app's future hanging in the balance as Trump's administration takes office.
Notably, Trump has also threatened to impose new tariffs on major trade partners. He has vowed as much as 60 per cent tariff on China.
Fentanyl overdoses have surged in recent years to become a leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Over 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023, CNN reported citing government data.
The US says China has not done enough to help monitor or regulate purchases from buyers aiming to use Chinese-made ingredients to manufacture illegal drugs overseas. The US lawmakers have also alleged that China is subsidizing the manufacturing of materials that are used by traffickers to make fentanyl.
Donald Trump will be sworn in as President on January 20.
Trump won the US presidential elections in November last year. He won 312 electoral votes against Harris' 226 votes.
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