China Hails US-TikTok Ownership Deal as “Win-Win,” Announces Review of Technology and IP Transfers
Beijing, September 17, 2025 — China has welcomed the newly reached framework agreement to transfer the ownership of TikTok’s U.S. operations to American entities, describing the deal as a “win-win” arrangement that reflects mutual respect and cooperation between the world’s two biggest economies. The announcement came via an editorial from the official People’s Daily newspaper on Wednesday, ahead of an anticipated confirmation call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for Friday.
The agreement, reached during this week’s U.S.-China trade, economic, and national security talks held in Madrid, Spain, signals progress toward resolving one of the most contentious issues in bilateral relations — the future of the hugely popular short-video social media app TikTok in the United States. With approximately 170 million users, TikTok’s U.S. footprint has been at the center of scrutiny over national security and data privacy concerns.
According to the state media commentary signed under the pseudonym “Zhong Sheng,” a voice of China’s government on foreign policy, the understanding was reached based on principles emphasizing peaceful coexistence and cooperative gain. “China reached the relevant consensus with the United States on the TikTok issue because it is based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation,” the editorial stated.
In addition to welcoming the deal, the Chinese government also declared it will conduct a review in accordance with Chinese law regarding the export of TikTok’s technology and intellectual property licensing as part of the ongoing implementation process.
This agreement essentially entails transferring the ownership and control of TikTok’s U.S. assets from its Chinese parent company ByteDance to American stakeholders — a parallel to a similar deal negotiated earlier in 2025 but ultimately stalled after the Trump administration imposed steep tariffs on Chinese goods. The current deal’s momentum has been viewed by investors and policymakers on both sides as a crucial step toward easing tensions and facilitating further talks on trade and security.
Following discussions in Madrid, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated a potential extension of a looming September 17 deadline that risked disrupting TikTok’s operations in the U.S., noting that the deadline might be pushed back 90 days to enable completion of the ownership transfer, though he offered no additional details on the timeline.
The development is also expected to pave the way for broader negotiations between the U.S. and China as they seek to move beyond the ongoing tariff truce and address longstanding economic and security concerns tied to technology and cross-border investments.
As both governments await the planned Trump-Xi call, stakeholders remain cautiously optimistic that the TikTok resolution can serve as a foundational win that encourages further diplomatic and commercial engagement.
Reporting by Joe Cash; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Muralikumar Anantharaman
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