US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping has approved the long-awaited TikTok deal, clearing the way for the video-sharing platform to continue its operations in the United States.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said, “I had a good call with President Xi. He approved the TikTok deal. We look forward to getting it signed—it could just be a formality. The TikTok deal is on its way, and the investors are getting ready.”
Trump stressed that Washington would maintain “tight control” over TikTok, calling it a “very good deal” for the US. “It is an amazing platform. The young people of this country want it, and so do their parents. We worked out a deal with China that benefits us. These American investors are well-known financially and will have control of it. I want to thank President Xi—he was a gentleman, and we had a good relationship,” he added.
The announcement followed a telephonic discussion between Trump and Xi Jinping, during which the two leaders also touched upon broader bilateral issues. TikTok had faced the risk of being banned in the US after the Biden administration passed legislation requiring the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its ownership.
In a statement issued shortly after Trump’s remarks, ByteDance confirmed its commitment to move forward in line with the agreement. “We thank President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump for their attention to TikTok. ByteDance will advance related work in accordance with Chinese law, allowing TikTok U.S. to continue serving American users well,” the company said.
The legislation, passed in April 2024, aimed to enforce a ban on TikTok from January 19, 2025. However, Trump’s administration has yet to implement the measure.
According to reports from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, the proposed deal would grant American investors control over 80 percent of TikTok, while ByteDance and other Chinese firms would retain a 20 percent stake.
