Trump’s TikTok deal: US investors and China pact saves the app from ban

TikTok’s future in the United States has been secured after months of uncertainty, with President Donald Trump announcing a breakthrough deal that will transfer the app’s US assets from its Chinese parent, ByteDance, to new American investors. The agreement, expected to be finalized within 30–45 days, comes after nearly a year of tense negotiations between Washington and Beijing.

The deal is designed to address national security concerns raised under a 2024 law requiring TikTok’s divestiture, amid fears that Chinese authorities could exploit US user data for surveillance or influence campaigns. While ByteDance and TikTok have long denied these claims—emphasizing that American data is stored on Oracle-operated servers within the US—the bipartisan pressure on the app’s Chinese ownership mounted steadily.

Trump, who credited TikTok with boosting his re-election campaign and boasts 15 million followers on the platform, confirmed that multiple American firms are vying for stakes in the app, which is valued at an estimated $50 billion. A final approval is expected following Trump’s scheduled call with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.

The deal has also been framed as a crucial step in easing broader trade tensions between the US and China, which have rattled global markets. Earlier efforts to spin off TikTok’s US operations stalled due to China’s resistance after Trump imposed fresh tariffs, but the new framework agreement signals a rare moment of cooperation between the two powers.

For now, TikTok’s 170 million US users can breathe a sigh of relief—at least until the ownership transfer is completed.