TikTok Shutdown Averted? Trump Announces Deal with China
▼ Summary
– The Trump administration is promoting a potential TikTok sale to US owners to avoid a nationwide ban, which Congress argued is necessary for national security.
– Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed a framework for the deal, with President Trump set to finalize it in a call with China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday.
– TikTok faced a shutdown deadline, extended multiple times, as negotiations with China remained tense and uncertain.
– China appears to use the TikTok sale as a bargaining chip in trade talks, seeking concessions from the US in exchange for approval.
– Experts doubt a deal will be reached soon, as China maintains a hard stance and the US refuses to compromise national security for the app.
The potential for a TikTok shutdown appears to have been temporarily averted as former President Donald Trump announced a tentative agreement with China, potentially transferring control of the popular social media platform to U.S. ownership. This development follows intense negotiations aimed at resolving longstanding national security concerns that had prompted threats of a nationwide ban.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Monday that American and Chinese officials have established a foundational structure for the deal, though final approval hinges on a scheduled call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping this Friday. According to reports, the framework outlines a transition to U.S.-controlled ownership, a critical condition for allowing TikTok to continue operating within the United States.
Without this arrangement, the app faced the possibility of being shut down as early as Wednesday, marking the most recent in a series of extended deadlines. Previous deadlines had been pushed back multiple times as diplomatic and trade discussions between the two nations remained fraught with tension.
For China, authorizing the sale of TikTok has functioned as a significant bargaining tool in broader trade negotiations. Chinese officials have been deliberate in their approach, showing little urgency to fast-track approvals. Ahead of recent talks, Bessent indicated that China had presented what he described as a “very aggressive” set of demands, urging the U.S. to offer substantial trade and technology concessions in return for allowing the divestment.
This firm stance from China led several analysts to express skepticism about the likelihood of an imminent agreement. Bessent reiterated that the U.S. would not compromise on national security priorities for the sake of a social media application, underscoring the challenging dynamics at play.
As China is expected to continue pressing for meaningful compromises, it remains uncertain whether the upcoming call will finalize the arrangement. President Xi is unlikely to engage without clear expectations of what China stands to gain, indicating that while progress has been made, the deal is far from finalized.
(Source: Ars Technica)
