U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping has given his approval to a deal concerning TikTok. Trump said the final steps may be largely procedural now.
The announcement came after a phone call between the two leaders, during which Trump told reporters the deal could be “a formality.”
Despite Trump’s optimism, China’s official statements have been more cautious. Beijing acknowledged ongoing negotiations but has not publicly confirmed that the deal has been finalized. The deal’s structure — particularly who will control the app’s algorithm and data — remains under intense scrutiny.
Congress had previously ordered TikTok’s U.S. assets sold by ByteDance or face a shutdown by January 2025. Trump has delayed the enforcement while negotiations continue.
