US President Donald Trump said on Monday, October 27, that a deal on TikTok’s US ownership “might” be finalized later this week when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“We might. That’ll be one of the things we’re discussing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling from Malaysia to Japan as part of his Asia tour.
He added that he had received “an original approval from President Xi” and expected further endorsement but preferred to “wait till a couple of days.”
“We’re going to have a great talk, and we’re going to have a successful transaction for both countries,” Trump said.
The remarks come as both countries move closer to concluding a long-running negotiation over TikTok’s operations in the United States. The social media platform, owned by China’s ByteDance, has been under scrutiny from Washington over data security concerns.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that the deal was reached in talks with China and that it will be for the two leaders to consummate that transaction.
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Bessent said, “We reached a final deal on TikTok. We reached one in Madrid, and I believe that as of today, all the details are ironed out.” He added that his role was limited to securing Chinese approval for the transaction. “My remit was to get the Chinese to agree to approve the transaction, and I believe we successfully accomplished that.” he said.
Top officials from China and the United States reconvened on Sunday for a second day of trade talks in Malaysia as Trump began his three-nation Asia tour. His meeting with Xi is scheduled for Thursday, October 30, where they are also expected to discuss tariffs, trade, fentanyl, agricultural exports, and rare earths.
US President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping during a past summit. PHOTO/Devdiscourse News DeskTrump signed an executive order in September allowing TikTok to continue operating in the United States under a new corporate structure with American investors, though specific details remain undisclosed. A ban on the app, initially set to take effect on January 20, was extended four times as negotiations continued.
