Will the U.S. really buy TikTok as expected?

.

This week’s headline in U.S.–China relations is the Madrid framework deal to keep TikTok in the U.S., negotiated by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice Premier He Lifeng. President Trump extended the ban deadline to December 16, 2025—the fourth delay—allowing time to finalize a sale to a U.S.-led consortium. China conceded on licensing TikTok’s algorithm and user-data oversight, but only to secure a Trump–Xi summit in Beijing, timed to boost Xi at the October Fourth Plenum. While both sides signal progress, mistrust remains deep. Beijing stalls on soybeans, fentanyl, and rare earths, leaving the deal’s fate uncertain.

.