Former US president Donald Trump indicated that Washington and Beijing had reached an agreement on the future of TikTok’s American operations, suggesting a breakthrough in a long-running dispute over the Chinese-owned social media platform. He also confirmed plans to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, highlighting the strength of the relationship between the two countries.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account shortly before the conclusion of two days of trade negotiations between the United States and China in Madrid. The talks, which ended on Monday, were described by Trump as having “gone very well.” Without naming TikTok directly, he wrote: “A deal was also reached on a ‘certain’ company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save. They will be very happy.” He later added that he would speak with Xi on Friday, noting, “The relationship remains a very strong one!!!”
Framework for TikTok Agreement
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who led the US delegation in Madrid, confirmed immediately after the negotiations that the two countries had agreed on a “framework” for TikTok’s operations in the United States. He explained that the deal would be reviewed and approved by Trump and Xi on Friday. The agreement follows repeated delays of a congressionally mandated deadline requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest its American operations or face a nationwide ban. The administration has already extended the deadline three times since January, with the most recent deadline falling on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters in Madrid, Bessent confirmed that the framework plan would place TikTok under “US-controlled ownership,” though he declined to provide more detail, saying it would be premature to do so before the planned call between Trump and Xi. “We have a framework. They’ll have to confirm the deal,” he stated.
