In a development that has gripped both Silicon Valley and Washington, the United States and China have reached a tentative framework deal over the future of TikTok’s U.S. operations, following months of high-stakes negotiations and political brinkmanship. The deal, announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on September 15, 2025, comes just days before a government-imposed deadline that could have seen the wildly popular social media app banned across the United States.
According to CNBC and Reuters, Bessent credited President Donald Trump’s hardline stance—including his willingness to let TikTok “go dark”—as pivotal in shifting the tone of the talks with Beijing. “President Trump made it clear that he would have been willing to let TikTok go dark, that we were not going to give up national security in favor of the deal,” Bessent said during a press briefing, emphasizing the administration’s resolve to prioritize security over commercial interests.
The contours of the framework agreement, as revealed by Chinese officials and reported by the Financial Times, suggest that the American version of TikTok may continue to use ByteDance’s powerful recommendation algorithm—a central point of contention throughout the negotiations. Wang Jingtao, deputy head of China’s cybersecurity watchdog, told reporters that the deal includes “licensing the algorithm and other intellectual property rights,” with ByteDance “entrusting the operation of TikTok’s U.S. user data and content security.” However, the details of how much control ByteDance will retain over these critical technical components remain unclear, and U.S. officials have yet to publicly confirm all aspects of Beijing’s account.
The urgency behind the negotiations stems from a bipartisan law passed by Congress last year, which requires ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban. The law also prohibits major app stores—including those operated by Apple and Google—from distributing TikTok in the U.S., labeling it a “foreign adversary-controlled application.” The Trump administration has repeatedly extended the enforcement deadline, with the latest set for September 17, 2025. Bessent acknowledged that while the commercial terms have largely been agreed upon, “the two countries may need more time to finalize the deal.” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer echoed this sentiment, noting that there would be no ongoing extensions beyond what’s necessary to complete the agreement.
China’s lead trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, confirmed the existence of a framework deal and called on the U.S. to stop “suppressing Chinese companies,” as reported by Reuters. The talks have unfolded against a backdrop of escalating trade tensions, with Trump’s tariffs and other restrictions souring relations between the world’s two largest economies. Yet, both sides appear eager to avoid a scenario in which TikTok—a platform with over 170 million American users—goes dark overnight.
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to speak directly on Friday, September 19, to hammer out the final details. This high-level engagement underscores the geopolitical significance of the TikTok saga, which has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over technology, national security, and global competition.
Throughout 2025, Trump has played a visible and sometimes unpredictable role in the process. In June, he told Fox News that a group of “very wealthy people” were prepared to buy TikTok’s U.S. business, hinting at possible buyers such as Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. However, no definitive buyer has been publicly revealed, and TikTok itself has remained largely silent on the matter. Notably, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity and internet advocacy group Project Liberty have both submitted bids, according to CNBC.
The fate of TikTok’s algorithm—a sophisticated piece of technology that determines what content users see—has been at the heart of the dispute. U.S. officials have long argued that ByteDance’s continued access to the algorithm could allow the Chinese government to shape political content or compromise American user data. China, meanwhile, has moved to block the transfer of the technology abroad, viewing it as a valuable national asset. The licensing arrangement outlined by Wang Jingtao appears to be a compromise, but it leaves open questions about oversight, enforcement, and the practicalities of safeguarding American interests.
Behind the scenes, the negotiations have been marked by moments of drama and brinkmanship. Bessent recounted a pivotal late-night call with President Trump after the first day of talks: “What turned the tide was a call that ambassador Greer and I had with President Trump the night after the first day of negotiations. And President Trump made it clear that he would have been willing to let TikTok go dark—that we were not going to give up national security in favor of the deal.” This willingness to walk away, Bessent argued, forced Beijing to take U.S. concerns more seriously and ultimately paved the way for compromise.
Despite the apparent progress, the path forward remains fraught with uncertainty. The framework agreement is just that—a framework. Key details about ownership, governance, and technical safeguards must still be hammered out, and any final deal will require the blessing of both Trump and Xi. There’s also the matter of political optics: Trump has positioned himself as a defender of American security and sovereignty, while Xi faces domestic pressure to avoid the appearance of capitulation to U.S. demands.
For millions of American users, the prospect of TikTok disappearing from their phones is more than an abstract policy debate. The app has become a cultural phenomenon, shaping everything from music trends to political activism. As the deadline looms, the uncertainty has fueled anxiety among creators, advertisers, and tech companies alike.
Meanwhile, the broader U.S.-China relationship continues to be tested on multiple fronts, from trade and technology to military posturing and human rights. The TikTok deal, while significant in its own right, is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. As Bessent put it, “We were able to reach a series of agreements, mostly for things we will not be doing in the future that have no effect on our national security.” The subtext: both sides are searching for off-ramps that protect core interests without triggering an all-out confrontation.
All eyes now turn to Friday’s meeting between Trump and Xi, where the fate of TikTok—and perhaps the tone of U.S.-China relations for years to come—will be decided. For now, the clock is ticking, and the world is watching.
