September 16, 2025

The clock is ticking for TikTok, the wildly popular video app owned by China-based ByteDance. US President Donald Trump announced a possible deal with China to settle the TikTok ownership issue. He said he would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, but as of Monday, China has not confirmed anything yet. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed optimism about the talks held in Madrid. "We're very close to resolving the issue," he told reporters on Monday. The talks, which started Sunday between Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, focus on trade and technology tensions that have strained relations between the two countries. President Trump shared excitement on social media: "A deal was also reached on a 'certain' company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save." This phrase clearly points to TikTok, a favorite among the youth. The situation is urgent. Trump had previously extended TikTok’s deadline by 90 days in mid-June. The app now must either find a non-Chinese buyer or face a ban in the United States by Wednesday. Originally, a federal law demanded TikTok be sold or banned for national security reasons by January 20, the day of President Joe Biden's inauguration, but the ban was paused. Interestingly, Trump changed his stance from wanting TikTok banned to defending it, believing it helped him win support from young voters in the 2020 election. TikTok itself has nearly two billion users worldwide, making it a digital giant. The drama isn’t just about TikTok. The ongoing US-China trade talks also tackle tariff issues. Earlier this year, both countries slapped triple-digit tariffs on each other’s goods, hurting supply chains globally. More recently, both sides chilled the heat by lowering those tariffs—US duties dropped to 30 percent and China’s to 10 percent—but the temporary peace will expire this November. Beijing's commerce ministry urged Washington on Friday to "work with China on the basis of mutual respect and equal consultations, to resolve each other's concerns through dialogue and find a solution to the problem." Despite some bumps, Treasury Secretary Bessent reassured that "If we don't reach an agreement on TikTok, it doesn't affect the overall relationship between the two countries. It's still very good at the highest levels." The next few days will be crucial. Will TikTok keep dancing on American screens, or will the curtain fall? All eyes are on Madrid and Washington as they tread carefully toward a deal that could reshape technology, trade, and diplomacy.

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Tags: Tiktok, Bytedance, Us-china trade, Trump, Technology deal, Trade talks,