U.S. and Chinese officials confirmed on Monday that they have reached a deal regarding TikTok, which reportedly outlines the framework for transferring ownership of the short video app to U.S. control. The tentative agreement over the social media app, with an estimated 170 million U.S. users, comes after months-long negotiations between the world’s two largest economies.
TikTok’s Chinese owner was facing a Sept. 17 deadline to find a buyer for its U.S. operations or face a ban in the country due to national security concerns, The BBC reported.
U.S. Treasury
Secretary, Scott Bessent, confirmed that negotiations took place in Madrid but declined to discuss the specifics of the deal. President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss the agreement over the phone on Friday.Bessent also said the Sept. 17 deadline could be extended by 90 days so the deal could be finalized.
According to Reuters, this marks the second time this year that American and Chinese officials have come close to a TikTok deal. Previous negotiations from March failed.
Even with an agreement, the Republican-controlled Congress
will still need to approve the deal, following a law passed in 2024 that banned TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sold its U.S. division. The law was in response to the U.S. Justice Department expressing fears that the Chinese government could access TikTok’s U.S. users’ data, allowing China to spy on Americans.Congress passed the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), and then-President Joe Biden signed the law in April 2024. The Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of the law in January 2025, rejecting arguments from TikTok and ByteDance, which had argued that the law violated free speech protections.
On Truth Social, Trump said the talks with China had “gone very well.”
A Sticking Point for U.S.-China Trade Deals
The ownership of TikTok has been a sticking point as both economies negotiate trade deals. According to The BBC, Beijing has used it to negotiate lower tariffs and fewer trade barriers, as the United States is one of China’s biggest markets.
Bessent’s announcement that a framework is in place comes after the second day of negotiations to end a contentious trade war. At its peak, tariffs on some goods hit 145%.
Still, China’s top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, said China would not reach a deal with the U.S. at the expense of its own principles and leadership.
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