U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that “Monday or Tuesday” would mark the start of bilateral discussions with China over a new TikTok deal that the administration says is “pretty much” in place .
Trump made the comments aboard Air Force One, where he told reporters that the United States has “pretty much” secured an agreement on a sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations. He anticipates those negotiations will require approval from Beijing and could involve direct contact with President Xi Jinping or senior Chinese representatives .
Under pressure from national security legislation enacted in April 2024, ByteDance the China‑based owner of TikTok is required to divest its U.S. assets. Originally, a divestment deadline was set for January 19, 2025, but has since been extended three times by executive action. The most recent extension pushes the deadline to September 17 .
Discussions on structuring a U.S.‑based spin‑off of TikTok began earlier this year, envisioning a new firm majority‑owned and operated by American investors. However, the deal stalled after China reportedly withheld approval, citing U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods .
Trump acknowledged uncertainty over China’s approval “I’m not confident, but I think so,” he said while emphasizing his diplomatic rapport with President Xi. He described the arrangement as “good for them … and good for us”.
Beijing maintains that any TikTok divestment must comply with Chinese export regulations and national intelligence laws. U.S. national security officials have raised concerns that ByteDance’s Chinese headquarters might gain access to sensitive user data a possibility ByteDance has consistently denied en.wikipedia.org.
As the September divestiture deadline draws nearer, high‑stakes negotiations will determine whether TikTok can remain accessible in the U.S. or faces a full ban under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Trump’s comments signal a shifting strategy from threats of prohibition toward a diplomatic push for a deal that’s acceptable to both Washington and Beijing.
