Washington [US], September 15 : The Trump administration has reached a deal with China to keep TikTok operational in the United States, concluding a years-long effort that began during President Donald Trump's first term, CNN reported on Monday.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that a framework agreement had been finalized and said President Trump will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday to complete the deal.
"President Trump played a role in this, we had a call with him last night, we had specific guidance from him we shared it with our Chinese counterparts," Bessent said in Madrid on Monday, according to CNN. "Without his leadership and the leverage he provides, we would not have been able to include the deal today."
Diplomats from both countries have been holding discussions in Spain this week over trade and related issues. Bessent, who led the latest round of talks for Washington, said TikTok was a central issue.
"We were very focused on TikTok and making sure that it was a deal that is fair for the Chinese and completely respects US national security concerns, and that's the deal we reached," Bessent said. "And of course, we want to ensure that the Chinese have a fair, invested environment in the United States, but always that US national security comes first," CNN reported.
The negotiations followed legislation passed by Congress and signed into law during Joe Biden's presidency that banned TikTok in the United States unless its China-based parent company divested from its US operations. TikTok briefly went offline in January before President Trump signed an executive order on his first day of his second term, delaying enforcement for 75 days. The deadline was later extended multiple times, CNN noted.
Trump, who had previously pushed for a TikTok ban during his first term, changed his stance ahead of the 2024 election after viewing the platform as influential in his campaign success.
On Monday, the President signalled optimism on the outcome of the talks, saying the trade meeting in Europe between the US and China had "gone very well" and that "a deal was also reached on a 'certain' company that young people in our country very much wanted to save."
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