Photo Credit: Engin Akyurt
President Trump gave ByteDance a 75-day stay to find an American buyer for TikTok. But the company appears to be slow-rolling the process amid broader trade negotiations.
According to sources speaking to The Washington Post, ByteDance is still waiting for a green-light from Beijing to begin a deal. But Beijing does not appear eager to grant permission for the sale to go through. “Beijing is increasingly likely to take a hard-line approach, letting TikTok’s U.S. operations die rather than approving a sale as it holds out for a ‘grand deal’ with the Trump administration that includes larger concessions on trade and tech policy,” those sources say.
Trump imposed tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China—the three largest trade partners for the US. While the Canada and Mexico tariffs were paused for a month, the 10% tariff on Chinese goods will go forward. In response, China responded with its own restrictions that include limited exports of minerals and an antitrust investigation of Google. It has also filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) about the tariffs.
During the election, Trump promised to ‘save TikTok’ by suspending enforcement of a ban signed into law by President Biden. He told voters that he alone could negotiate a divestment of TikTok from ByteDance, but it appears TikTok may become a victim of his trade negotiations with these Chinese government.
The Post reports that officials in China are wary of delivering Trump a win without securing meaningful allowances. Those include a pledge of lighter tariffs and trade policy allowances on items like semiconductor chips. Trump was the first president to call for a ban of TikTok in 2020, so the CCP is wary of embracing his efforts to ‘save TikTok.’
“It’s not like [the CCP] would never do it, but they need a lot in return,” says one source. “They are willing to pull the plug.”
Interest in purchasing and acquiring TikTok by American groups has reached a fevered pace over the last few months. Several parties are composing offers to take over the social media app embraced by Gen Z—though no forerunners have emerged.
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