US President Donald Trump said he and China’s President Xi Jinping made “progress” on a TikTok agreement during a Friday call, adding both sides will meet face to face next month at the APEC summit in South Korea.
Trump said he will visit China early next year, while Xi will travel to the United States later.
He described the call as “very good” and said they expect further phone discussions ahead of the summit.
New TikTok deal will give Americans control over the app’s US operations and user data
Under the new deal, the popular short video app will continue to operate, but with major changes to its US operations.
A senior White House official said on Saturday that American leaders will have significant control over the company, with six of the seven board seats going to Americans.
China’s ByteDance, the current owner of TikTok, will name the seventh board member.
Additionally, all data from American users will be stored on cloud computing systems managed by the US company Oracle.
Officials have been concerned that the Chinese government could use the app’s algorithm to influence what Americans see.
This new agreement aims to address those concerns by ensuring that the app’s algorithm will be secured and operated in the US, outside of ByteDance’s control.
The official also stated that ByteDance would own less than 20% of the new company that will manage TikTok’s US operations.
This deal, which still needs to be finalized by President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, would allow Americans to keep using the app to see content from all over the world.
Broader agenda: trade, fentanyl, and Ukraine
Beyond TikTok, the leaders discussed trade issues, efforts to curb fentanyl flows, and paths to end the Russia–Ukraine war.
Trump wrote that he “appreciates the TikTok approval,” though terms of the agreement were not disclosed and the White House did not immediately comment.
The planned in-person meeting signals a push to stabilise tech and security frictions while seeking incremental wins on global flashpoints.
President Donald Trump said a deal has been reached with China to keep TikTok operating in the United States. He plans to speak with President Xi on Friday to confirm the arrangement.
The social app had faced a shutdown unless its US business was sold, but the White House has repeatedly delayed the ban. The deadline is now extended to December 16 while final terms are completed.
US investors to control a new TikTok entity and board
According to reports, TikTok’s US business would shift into a new company controlled by an investor group that includes Oracle, Silver Lake, and Andreessen Horowitz.
US investors would hold about 80 percent of the equity. Americans would dominate the board, with one seat chosen by the US government.
Oracle would continue to host TikTok’s US servers, addressing long-standing concerns from lawmakers about data leaving the country.
Licensing plan covers algorithms and intellectual property use
The plan under discussion would move US users to a new app now in testing. Its content-recommendation system would use technology licensed from ByteDance.
Chinese officials said any export or licensing of algorithms and other intellectual property will be reviewed under Chinese law.
A US trade team also announced a broader framework with Beijing amid ongoing talks, while China said it will not accept steps that harm its firms.
Law, courts, and new deadline shape the path forward
The US Supreme Court earlier upheld a law that bans TikTok unless its Chinese parent sells the US arm.
The Justice Department has called the app a national security risk because of access to American user data. ByteDance disputes that claim and says its US operations are separate.
TikTok briefly went dark in January before bans were delayed.
The deadline has been pushed back four times. The Trump administration says a buyer will be named soon.
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