Washington DC [US], September 20 (HBTV): US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping had approved the TikTok deal, allowing the video-sharing platform to continue operating in the United States.
Speaking with reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said, ‘I had a good call with President Xi. He approved the TikTok deal. We look forward to getting the deal closed. We have to get it signed; it could be a formality. The TikTok deal is on its way, and the investors are getting ready.’
Trump emphasised that the US would maintain ‘tight control’ over the app, calling it a ‘very good deal’ for Washington. He added, ‘It is an amazing thing that has been created... I am a little prejudiced because I frankly did so well on it. The young people of this country want it. The parents of the young people want it badly. So we were able to work out a deal with China. It’s a very good deal for us. I hope it’s a good deal for them... These are American investors... They are very famous people financially. They’ll have control of it. I want to thank President Xi because he was a gentleman. We just had a good relationship.’
Trump and Xi Jinping spoke over the phone earlier in the day, during which they discussed several issues, including TikTok, which has faced a potential ban after the administration of former US President Joe Biden passed legislation requiring the platform to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
Following the conversation, ByteDance issued a statement thanking both leaders and confirming that the company would advance related work in line with Chinese law to allow TikTok US to continue operations.
The legislation, passed in April 2024, aimed to ban the app from January 19, 2025. However, the Trump administration has not enforced the ban.
According to reports in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, citing people familiar with the deal, the proposed agreement would allow a group of American investors to control 80 per cent of TikTok, while the remaining 20 per cent would stay under the ownership of Chinese firms, including ByteDance.
(ANI)