The United States and China have reached a preliminary “framework” agreement over the future of TikTok, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Speaking from U.S.-China negotiations in Madrid on Monday, Bessent confirmed that commercial terms have been finalized between the parties, setting the stage for a high-stakes discussion later this week.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet on Friday to finalize the deal. Trump also took to Truth Social on Monday, saying an agreement had been reached regarding a “certain” company that young Americans “very much wanted to save,” signaling TikTok’s importance to its U.S. user base.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is currently facing a September 17 deadline to divest the platform’s U.S. business or risk a nationwide ban. While U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer acknowledged that the deadline may need to be extended to allow the deal to be signed, he emphasized that any extension would be temporary and not subject to ongoing delays.
The proposed framework could result in TikTok shifting to U.S.-controlled ownership, addressing long-standing concerns in Washington over data security and Chinese influence. With the deadline looming, the agreement marks a critical turning point in the future of one of the world’s most popular social media platforms.
