Will TikTok continue to be available in the U.S.? President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that he has "made progress" on trying to push through a deal designed to resolve ownership of TikTok. Trump conducted a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday morning to discuss the matter.

Trump Conducts Call About TikTok with Chinese President

The president posted on his Truth Social account that he will visit China early next year. Xi also confirmed that he will travel to the U.S. at some point. The two world leaders are scheduled to meet in November while attending the APEC Summit in South Korea.

Trump called the discussion "a very good one," signaling that the two will be speaking again by phone before meeting at the APEC event. The call came just a few days after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that U.S. and Chinese negotiators had agreed on a framework to resolve the subject of TikTok's ownership after meeting in Madrid. Bessent said on Monday that the planned Friday call between Trump and Xi was designed to complete the deal.

However, it has not been confirmed if the deal is done. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summarized the call in an official statement without confirming if a deal was reached. The ministry said that government officials will support their negotiating teams as the discussions continue.

Trump has allowed TikTok to continue operations in the U.S., despite a federal law that was passed forcing TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, to face a ban in the U.S. if they do not divest from the popular social media app. Former President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan piece of legislation that went into effect on January 19. After briefly going dark on January 18, Trump said that he would allow the app to continue after taking the oath of office on January 19.

The Supreme Court upheld this law by a 9-0 decision in June. However, Trump has continued to delay the enforcement of the law using his executive power.

Tenuous Relationship Between China and the U.S.

It has been a volatile time for relations between China and the U.S. While Trump has previously said that he respects Xi, he also often expresses his disappointment with China's trade operations and legislation.

Xi has also been criticized most recently by U.S. leaders for his blatant show of unity and support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The embattled Russian president appeared alongside Xi in a Chinese military parade earlier in September.

With TikTok's fate hanging in the balance, all eyes will be on Trump and Xi to see if the app will be allowed to operate in the U.S. The issue with TikTok has gone back years, most recently becoming a key piece of the trade negotiations between the U.S. and China. Neither side has released information about the terms of the proposed agreement. However, it is being reported that the proposal would lean on investments from U.S.-based venture capitalists, private equity funds, and leading tech companies, including Oracle and Silver Lake. Chinese investors will reportedly only hold 20% of the company.

The biggest question surrounding the negotiations is what will happen to TikTok's secretly guarded algorithm. This critical piece influences what users see on their home feeds. China has previously said that it would not allow the algorithm to be purchased as part of the deal, throwing a wrench into the plans for an American entity to take over the specifics of the app.

Approximately 170 million Americans use TikTok. The app is particulary popular among younger demographics. The Trump campaign leaned heavily on the app to win over more of the youth vote during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump also said that his Friday call with Xi included discussions about fentanyl and the war between Russia and Ukraine.

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