Former U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will begin talks with China as early as Monday or Tuesday about a potential deal involving the short-video app TikTok.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the two sides “pretty much” have a deal in place for the sale of TikTok, and discussions could involve Chinese President Xi Jinping or one of his representatives.
Trump said the U.S. will likely need China’s approval for the agreement. When asked about the likelihood of Chinese approval, he responded, “I’m not confident, but I think so,” citing a good relationship with Xi and calling the deal beneficial for both sides.
The U.S. had previously set a deadline of September 17 for ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company based in China, to sell its U.S. assets.
A deal had been under negotiation earlier this year to spin off TikTok’s American operations into a new company owned and run by U.S. investors. However, talks were paused after China signaled disapproval, following Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on Chinese goods.
