Trump Hints US and China Struck a Deal on TikTok Future

US President Donald Trump indicated that the US and China struck a deal on the future of TikTok’s American operations. Trump expects to finalize talks during a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.

Trump posted on his Truth Social network that trade talks between the countries went very well, adding that a deal was reached involving a ‘certain’ company that young people in the US very much wanted to save. He added that he would speak with Xi on Friday and described the US-China relationship as very strong.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who led the US delegation in Madrid, told reporters that a framework deal with TikTok had been reached. He reportedly confirmed the plan involves transferring TikTok to US-controlled ownership, adding, “I’m not going to get ahead of the leaders’ call on Friday. We have a framework. They’ll have to confirm the deal.”

Moving to US ownership would address the Trump administration’s long-standing national security concerns while allowing the short-video app to continue operating in the country. The update comes after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick issued a warning in July that TikTok could be blocked across the country unless China agreed to transfer control, including the platform’s algorithm, to a US owner.

The US government has repeatedly delayed its deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to divest its US operations or face a nationwide ban. Since January, the deadline has been postponed three times, with the latest set for today. US trade representative Jamieson Greer said a further extension might be required to finalise Monday’s agreement, but indicated that no additional extensions are planned.