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US, China inch toward finalizing TikTok deal

Sep 21, 2025, 3:38pm EDT
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TikTok office in California
Daniel Cole/File Photo/Reuters

Beijing and Washington appear close to a deal for an American consortium to take over TikTok’s US operations, with some added perks for both governments.

The deal — set to be signed in “the coming days,” according to US officials — could include a multibillion-dollar fee for the White House, The Wall Street Journal reported, the latest example of the Trump administration benefiting from lucrative business transactions.

TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, would get a board seat on the new American operation, while the US would control the algorithm.

The agreement marks a rare success in US-China relations; a delegation of US lawmakers visited Beijing on Sunday, the first such trip since 2019, as the countries look to further stabilize ties.

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