US and China hold trade talks in Spain as TikTok ban deadline nears

Madrid – US and Chinese officials are meeting in Spain for a second day of trade talks, just days before the deadline for TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to find a US buyer or face a ban.

Talks are led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, aiming to ease trade tensions after both sides extended their tariff truce until 10 November.

President Donald Trump, who once pushed for a TikTok ban, has delayed it three times and hinted the deadline may be extended again. He recently downplayed security concerns, calling them “overrated.”

TikTok has about 170 million US users, and the White House even launched an official account in August.

Officials may also use the talks to prepare for a possible Trump–Xi meeting in October at a South Korea summit.