The United States and China have reached a deal regarding TikTok, President Donald Trump announced. Washington had been urging the video‑sharing app to be sold to a U.S.-controlled owner over national‑security concerns. Trump said he would speak with Chinese President Xi on Friday to finalize the details.
The development comes amid broader trade talks that resumed in Madrid, where U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng led discussions aimed at narrowing differences on trade and technology that have strained relations between the world’s two largest economies.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a China‑based internet company. A federal law requiring the app’s sale or ban on national‑security grounds was set to take effect before Trump’s inauguration on January 20, but he put the ban on hold. Having relied heavily on social media for his 2024 election campaign and expressing fondness for TikTok, Trump extended the deadline for the app to find a non‑Chinese buyer by 90 days in June; that extension expires on Wednesday.
Initially, Trump supported a ban or divestment, but he later changed his stance, vowing to defend the platform, which has nearly two billion global users. He believes TikTok helped him win the support of young voters in the November election.
The U.S.–China agreement marks a significant development in the ongoing trade and technology tensions between the two countries. Details of the deal are expected to be confirmed on Friday after Trump’s conversation with President Xi, and the outcome will likely affect TikTok’s future in the United States as well as the broader bilateral relationship.
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