President Donald Trump said Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, that U.S.–China trade talks “went very well” and hinted at progress on a deal addressing TikTok’s ownership, a high-profile issue in the broader negotiations. Trump added he plans to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, according to a post on Truth Social.
Talks are being held in Madrid and have folded the TikTok dispute into a wider agenda on tariffs and technology policy, according to Reuters. A senior U.S. official said Monday the United States is prepared to proceed with a TikTok ban if Beijing conditions any divestiture on tariff relief or eased tech restrictions, Reuters reported.
TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, faces the prospect of being shut down in the United States as early as Sept. 17 unless it moves to U.S. ownership, according to Reuters. ByteDance has denied sharing U.S. user data with the Chinese government and has said it operates independently.
Trump’s post did not name TikTok but referenced a “certain” company popular with young Americans. “The big Trade Meeting in Europe between The United States of America, and China, has gone VERY WELL! It will be concluding shortly,” he wrote. “A deal was also reached on a ‘certain’ company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save. They will be very happy! I will be speaking to President Xi on Friday. The relationship remains a very strong one!!!”
The White House did not immediately provide further details. Expectations for a broad trade breakthrough remain guarded, but the president’s upbeat tone suggests negotiators see a pathway to resolve the app’s ownership question within the wider talks.
What’s next: Negotiators are expected to continue discussions in Madrid this week. The planned Trump–Xi call Friday is likely to serve as a marker for whether the sides can finalize a TikTok path to U.S. ownership or extend the deadline again, according to Reuters.
Bottom line: Trump’s positive readout signals movement, but any TikTok resolution still depends on separating divestiture terms from larger fights over tariffs and technology–and on whether Washington follows through on a ban if those issues are linked, Reuters reported.
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