A TikTok deal is in motion, with President Trump announcing that he will engage China in discussions starting Monday or Tuesday, believing a deal is “pretty much” nearly complete. This suggests a significant step towards finalizing the sale of the app’s US assets.
The potential for high-level meetings, possibly involving President Xi Jinping, highlights the diplomatic importance of the TikTok issue. The current September 17 deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US assets marks the third extension granted by Trump.
Past attempts at a deal were reportedly stalled by China’s disapproval following Trump’s imposition of new tariffs, indicating a clear link between trade policy and the TikTok negotiations.
Despite expressing optimism about his relationship with President Xi and the deal’s potential benefits for both countries, Trump admitted a lack of complete confidence in Beijing’s approval. This cautious outlook contrasts with the ongoing criticism from Senator Mark Warner, who views Trump’s executive orders as a sidestepping of the law.