Kathmandu: The United States has announced that it has reached a framework agreement with China to resolve the long-standing dispute over the ownership of TikTok. The agreement, reached after talks between US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Madrid, would allow the popular short-video app to be operated under American-controlled ownership.

“We have a framework for an agreement with TikTok. It is believed that this will pave the way for the app to be operated under American-controlled ownership,” Besant told reporters.

US President Donald Trump also hinted at the deal in a social media post, writing that “a deal has been reached with a certain company that the young people of our country want to protect very much,” suggesting that TikTok’s future in the US is now secure. Trump said he would discuss the matter further with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

TikTok, owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance, has about two billion users worldwide. The US government has long expressed concerns about national security risks, pressuring ByteDance to sell TikTok to an American company or face a ban.

The Madrid talks also focused on easing tensions over trade and technology. Trump’s administration is reportedly considering reducing tariffs on Chinese imports as part of broader efforts to improve US-China economic relations.