Six years since they last met face-to-face, two leaders agree to talk again
Después de casi seis años sin encontrarse cara a cara, Donald Trump y Xi Jinping acordaron reunirse en la cumbre APEC de Corea del Sur en octubre, con una visita de Trump a China prevista para inicios de 2026. La conversación telefónica, descrita como 'muy productiva', abarcó comercio, semiconductores, fentanilo y el futuro de TikTok en suelo estadounidense. En un momento en que las dos mayores economías del mundo llevan años acumulando aranceles, sanciones y tensiones retóricas, la disposición de ambos líderes a sentarse juntos recuerda que la diplomacia, por difícil que sea, sigue siendo el único camino hacia acuerdos duraderos.
- Tras casi seis años de distancia física entre los dos líderes más poderosos del mundo, una llamada telefónica abre la puerta a una serie de cumbres que podrían redefinir la relación bilateral.
- Los temas sobre la mesa —aranceles, cadenas de suministro de semiconductores, precursores de fentanilo y el destino de TikTok— reflejan la profundidad de las fricciones acumuladas entre Washington y Pekín.
- El acuerdo sobre TikTok avanza en terreno incierto: Trump extendió por cuarta vez el plazo de cumplimiento hasta el 16 de diciembre, mientras Oracle, Silver Lake y Andreessen Horowitz negocian la estructura de la nueva entidad operadora.
- Lo que Xi dijo exactamente sobre TikTok durante la llamada sigue sin aclararse, y los términos precisos del acuerdo —porcentajes de propiedad, gobernanza, acceso a datos— permanecen fuera del alcance público.
- La secuencia de encuentros planeados —octubre en Seúl, 2026 en Pekín, y una futura visita de Xi a Estados Unidos— sugiere que ambas partes apuestan por un diálogo sostenido antes que por soluciones rápidas.
Donald Trump anunció el viernes que él y el presidente chino Xi Jinping acordaron por teléfono reunirse en la cumbre APEC de Corea del Sur a finales de octubre. Trump visitaría China a principios de 2026, y Xi haría lo propio en Estados Unidos en una fecha posterior. La llamada, que Trump calificó de 'muy productiva', abordó comercio, semiconductores, el flujo de precursores de fentanilo hacia mercados estadounidenses y el marco operativo de TikTok en el país.
El último encuentro presencial entre ambos líderes había sido en junio de 2019, al margen del G20 en Japón. Esa brecha de casi seis años habla por sí sola del deterioro de la relación. Durante el primer mandato de Trump, Xi había visitado Mar-a-Lago y Trump había viajado a Pekín en 2017. Retomar ese contacto directo, con ambos hombres nuevamente al frente de sus naciones, tiene un peso simbólico y estratégico considerable.
En Truth Social, Trump destacó avances en varios frentes, incluido lo que llamó la 'aprobación del acuerdo de TikTok'. El Congreso había exigido en 2024 que ByteDance cediera suficiente control de su operación estadounidense para impedir que Pekín accediera a los datos de los usuarios. Las negociaciones sobre esa reestructuración habían avanzado en reuniones celebradas en Madrid esa misma semana. Trump extendió el plazo de cumplimiento por cuarta vez, hasta el 16 de diciembre, dando más margen a posibles nuevos operadores —Oracle, Silver Lake y Andreessen Horowitz— para cerrar el trato.
Lo que Xi dijo exactamente sobre TikTok durante la llamada no quedó claro. Trump agradeció al presidente chino su 'aprobación', pero no ofreció detalles sobre los términos ni la estructura de la nueva entidad. Los porcentajes de propiedad y los mecanismos de gobernanza aún no son públicos.
La secuencia de cumbres planeadas sugiere que ambas partes reconocen que los grandes temas —comercio, semiconductores, fentanilo— no se resuelven en una sola conversación. Después de años de aranceles escalantes, sanciones y guerra retórica, el hecho de que ambos líderes estén dispuestos a sentarse juntos de nuevo indica que ninguno ha descartado la negociación como herramienta.
Donald Trump announced Friday that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed by phone to meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea in late October, with plans for Trump to visit China in early 2026 and Xi to visit the United States at a later date. The conversation, which Trump described as "very productive," touched on several fronts where the two largest economies have been locked in negotiation: trade policy, semiconductor supply chains, the flow of fentanilo precursors into American markets, and the operational framework for TikTok's continued presence in the U.S.
The last time these two leaders met face-to-face was in June 2019, at the margins of a G20 summit in Japan. That gap of nearly six years underscores how strained the relationship has become. During Trump's first term, Xi had visited his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, and Trump had traveled to Beijing in November 2017 for a state visit. A meeting now, with both men leading their nations again, carries weight—the kind of high-level engagement that can shift the trajectory of bilateral talks when both sides have leverage and grievances to address.
Trump's statement on Truth Social emphasized progress on multiple fronts. He highlighted movement on trade, the fentanilo crisis—where chemical precursors flow primarily from China into American supply chains—the possibility of ending the Russia-Ukraine war, and what he called "approval of the TikTok agreement." That last item requires unpacking. Congress had mandated in 2024 that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, must divest enough control of the American operation to prevent Beijing from accessing user data servers. The framework for this restructuring had already been negotiated between U.S. and Chinese representatives during meetings in Madrid earlier that week. Trump extended the deadline for TikTok's compliance a fourth time, pushing it to December 16, giving the company and its potential new operators—reportedly Oracle, Silver Lake, and the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz—more runway to finalize the deal.
What remains unclear is the precise shape of any agreement on TikTok, or what Xi actually said during the call about the platform. Trump thanked the Chinese president for "approval," but offered no specifics about the terms or the structure of the new operating entity. ByteDance may retain a small stake in the new company, according to reporting, but the exact percentages and governance arrangements have not been made public.
The timing of these meetings—October in South Korea, early 2026 in Beijing—suggests both sides see value in sustained dialogue. Trade negotiations, semiconductor access, and the fentanilo supply chain are not issues that resolve in a single conversation. They require the kind of sustained engagement that in-person summits can catalyze. Whether these meetings produce binding agreements or simply reset the tone of the relationship remains to be seen. But after years of escalating tariffs, sanctions, and rhetorical warfare, the fact that both leaders are willing to sit across from each other again signals that neither side has given up on negotiation as a tool.
Citações Notáveis
We agreed with President Xi that we would meet at the APEC Summit in South Korea, that I would travel to China in early next year, and that President Xi would visit the United States at an appropriate time.— Donald Trump, via Truth Social
Very productive call with progress on several important issues, including trade, fentanilo, the need to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, and approval of the TikTok agreement.— Donald Trump, describing the phone conversation
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does it matter that these two leaders haven't met in person since 2019?
Because at that level, a face-to-face conversation carries weight that a phone call or a statement doesn't. You can read a room. You can sense whether someone is serious or posturing. Six years is a long time to conduct a relationship through intermediaries.
What's the real issue underneath all these topics—trade, fentanilo, TikTok?
Control. China wants to maintain its economic leverage and protect its companies. The U.S. wants to secure its supply chains and keep sensitive data out of Beijing's hands. TikTok is the visible symbol of that tension, but it's really about who gets to decide the rules of the digital economy.
Is Trump actually going to visit China in early 2026?
He said he would. Whether it happens depends on whether these negotiations move forward. If talks break down, the trip gets postponed or canceled. These kinds of commitments are contingent on progress.
What does fentanilo have to do with diplomacy?
It's leverage. Fentanilo is killing tens of thousands of Americans every year, and most of the chemical precursors come from China. It's a humanitarian crisis that Trump can point to and say, 'This is what we need you to fix.' It's personal in a way that abstract trade policy isn't.
So the TikTok thing is actually settled?
Not quite. They've agreed on a framework, but the details are still being worked out. Trump extended the deadline again—this is the fourth extension. That tells you something about how complicated it is to actually restructure a company that big.
What happens if these meetings don't produce results?
Then you're back where you started—two superpowers in competition, unable to find common ground. The fentanilo crisis continues. Trade tensions remain. And the next president inherits the same mess.