Trump says US and China will hold talks on TikTok deal early next week
US President Donald Trump also reaffirms interest in visiting Xi Jinping in China, or inviting the Chinese leader to the United States
US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his interest in visiting China, while announcing that bilateral talks are set to start early next week on a possible TikTok deal that could determine the future of the popular video-sharing platform.
Under a law passed by the US Congress last year, ByteDance Ltd, the Beijing-based parent company of the social media app, is required to divest TikTok and secure a local buyer in the US.
Trump, who has extended the divestment deadline three times to allow more time for negotiations, said on Friday that the US “pretty much” had a deal on the sale of the app.
“I think we’re [going to] start Monday or Tuesday ... talking to China, perhaps President Xi [Jinping] or one of his representatives, but we pretty much have a deal,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, according to Reuters.
When asked how confident he was that China would agree to a deal, he said, “I’m not confident, but I think so. President Xi and I have a great relationship, and I think it’s good for them. I think the deal is good for China and it’s good for us.”