U.S. and China Agree Framework for TikTok Ownership Deal

World 10:45 PM - 2025-09-15

Tiktok logo and the shadow of two persons holding their phones..

The U.S. and China have reached a “framework” agreement on the ownership of TikTok’s American operations, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The arrangement, set during trade talks in Madrid, is expected to be finalised in a call on Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Bessent said on Monday, 15 September 2025, the deal lays the groundwork for TikTok’s transition to U.S.-controlled ownership, while safeguarding national security interests. He stressed that the threat of a U.S. shutdown of the popular social media app had pressured Chinese negotiators to drop demands for reduced tariffs as part of any agreement.

President Trump declared on his Truth Social platform that the negotiations had “gone very well.” China, while confirming the framework agreement, insisted that no deal would come at the expense of Chinese companies’ interests.

A Looming Deadline

TikTok, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, faces a deadline to secure a buyer for its U.S. operations or risk being banned outright in the country. The company, which boasts 170 million American users, briefly went dark in January after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a 2024 law requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. division. President Trump subsequently granted a 75-day postponement, though the deadline has been extended three times since. The current delay expires on 17 September.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, part of the delegation in Madrid, noted that the agreement was still “subject to the leaders’ approval,” but warned that Washington was “not in the business of having repetitive extensions.”

China’s chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang reiterated that Beijing would not accept any settlement that compromised its principles or the interests of its companies. He said any final deal would be reviewed by the country’s leadership before approval.

Source: BBC



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