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US President Donald Trump has announced that a deal for the future of TikTok’s US operations has been agreed with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping following a phone call between the two leaders on Friday.
However, the claim has not been confirmed by Beijing, which has only stated that it “welcomes negotiations.”
Writing on Truth Social, Trump described the call as “productive” and said he “appreciated” Xi’s approval of the agreement, which would see the app’s US business sold to a group of American investors.
The proposed deal would allow TikTok to continue operating in the US, thereby averting a ban that the Trump administration has repeatedly delayed.
Despite the President’s optimism, details of the agreement remain vague, particularly regarding the powerful algorithm that drives TikTok’s content recommendations.
A major point of contention has been who will own this technology. Trump told reporters that a deal still had to be signed and that the US would have “very tight control” of the app.
The lack of an official confirmation from China adds to the uncertainty. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as welcoming negotiations but offered no definitive sign of an agreement.
A statement from TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, also thanked both leaders for their “efforts to preserve TikTok” but provided no further details on the status of a deal.
The potential agreement has also raised concerns among some US lawmakers who worry that a continued reliance on ByteDance’s algorithm could leave the door open for Chinese government influence, citing national security threats.
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