The long-promised deal to “save” TikTok remains elusive even as the US and China seem to be inching toward an agreement. On Friday, President Donald Trump did little to clarify where the deal currently stands following a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said both that the two had “made progress” on “approval of the TikTok Deal” and that he “appreciate[s] the TikTok approval.” Trump also told reporters in the Oval Office that “he approved the TikTok deal,” Reuters reported.
But Chinese state-run media reported the call a bit differently, according to The New York Times, saying that Xi conveyed that the government “respects the wishes of the company in question and is glad to see business negotiations in line with market rules and a solution that conforms to Chinese laws and regulations and takes into account the interests of both sides.”
TikTok owner ByteDance did little to clear things up when it issued the following statement. “We thank President Xi Jinping and President Donald J. Trump for their efforts to preserve TikTok in the United States. ByteDance will work in accordance with applicable laws to ensure TikTok remains available to American users through TikTok U.S.”
This week, there have been multiple reports that the two sides were reaching the final stages of negotiations. The proposed terms reportedly include a brand new app for TikTok’s US users that will continue to use ByteDance’s technology for its algorithm, US investor control and a multibillion-dollar payday for the Trump Administration.
When all of that will be made official, though, is still anyone’s guess. Trump also granted TikTok an extension on a full-on ban for a fourth time, so the two sides now have until December to figure it out.