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U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that a deal had been reached concerning TikTok during ongoing trade talks with China in Madrid, adding that he would hold a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday to discuss progress in the negotiations.
On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "The big Trade Meeting in Europe between The United States of America, and China, has gone VERY WELL! It will be concluding shortly."
Trump added that an agreement had been struck with a company that young Americans "very much wanted to save," predicting they would be "very happy" with the result. While he did not name TikTok directly, his comments clearly pointed to the platform.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington and Beijing are "very close" to finalizing the details of the TikTok arrangement. The platform, owned by China’s ByteDance, faces the threat of a nationwide ban in the United States over concerns that user data could be shared with Chinese authorities.
In 2024, Congress passed legislation requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations by Sept. 17, with the deadline having already been extended three times by the Trump administration.
Emphasizing stable ties with Beijing, Trump said both the Chinese and U.S. presidents are set to address the latest progress in the trade talks. "The relationship remains a very strong one!!!" he wrote on Truth Social, underscoring his intention to highlight cooperation despite ongoing disputes over tariffs and technology.
The planned Trump–Xi call is expected to build on the discussions held in Madrid and could help shape the next phase of negotiations. Officials on both sides are working under a tariff truce that suspends additional duties on Chinese imports until November, leaving a 10% reciprocal tariff in place.
The call may also lay the groundwork for a potential in-person meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea next month, where trade, investment, and regional security issues are likely to dominate the agenda.
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