By Opeoluwani Akintayo

Copyright channelstv

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States and China had reached a deal over TikTok, which Washington says must pass to US-controlled ownership.

“We have a deal on TikTok, I’ve reached a deal with China, I’m going to speak to President Xi on Friday to confirm everything up,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a state visit to Britain.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday said the duo were “very close” to a deal, as the two sides resumed trade talks in Madrid.

Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng opened the latest round of discussions in Madrid on Sunday to narrow differences on trade and technology that have strained relations between the world’s two largest economies.

TikTok is owned by a China-based internet company, ByteDance.

A federal law requiring TikTok’s sale or ban on national security grounds was due to take effect the day before US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

But the Republican, whose 2024 election campaign relied heavily on social media and who has said he is fond of TikTok, put the ban on pause.

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In mid-June, Trump extended a deadline for the popular video-sharing app by another 90 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned in the United States. That extension is due to expire on Wednesday.

While Trump had long supported a ban or divestment, he reversed his position and vowed to defend the platform — which boasts almost two billion global users — after coming to believe it helped him win young voters’ support in the November election.