President Trump makes a phone call to China’s Xi for the first time since 2021

Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, finally picked up the phone to talk with China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday, their first direct exchange since he left office in 2021.

And it happened just three days before Trump’s inauguration in Washington, where China’s Vice President Han Zheng is set to attend the ceremony.

TikTok ban and Fentanyl crisis dominate the discussion

Per a report by CNBC, Trump’s transition team has actually been in contact with Beijing for weeks. The president wasted no time detailing the call on Truth Social, calling it “a very good one for both China and the U.S.A.” He added that:

“I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A. 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 and Xi talked about TikTok, the social media platform that’s become a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations. Their conversation comes as the Supreme Court is uphelding a federal law banning TikTok in the United States.

The law takes effect on Sunday, leaving little time for negotiation. Trump had previously credited TikTok with helping his campaign strategy. Now, he can either enforce the ban or rethink it entirely.

On fentanyl, the stakes are equally high. The U.S. has long pressed China to crack down on the export of fentanyl and its precursors, which have fueled a deadly crisis in American communities. Trump signaled urgency, saying solutions need to start “immediately.” The two men also talked about trade imbalances and tariffs, though details of that remain unshared.

EU-China tensions and Trump’s trade warnings

Meanwhile, the European Union is considering dropping a trade investigation into China over alleged coercive actions against Lithuania. Lithuania angered Beijing by allowing Taiwan to open a representative office in its capital, prompting China to impose trade restrictions.

The EU took the matter to the World Trade Organization in 2022, backed by the U.S. and 17 other countries. But now there’s talk of backing down, which has infuriated Washington. Trump’s team views this as a capitulation to China, with one insider saying it “reinforces the need for stronger transatlantic coordination.”

From Zero to Web3 Pro: Your 90-Day Career Launch Plan