US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephonic conversation, Xinhua News reported on Friday. Prior to the call between the two leaders, US media had reported that US President Donald Trump has declined to give approval for USD 400 million of military aid to Taiwan because he is seeking to negotiate a trade deal with China.

Trump is also striving for a summit deal with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as per US media reports. The Trump administration is generally seeking to soften relations with Beijing. A White House representative said the aid package decision has not been finalised and may be reviewed. According to local US media outlets, Trump and Xi were expected to discuss a deal to confirm the framework of a deal that would separate the TikTok app from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to avoid a US ban.