President Trump announced that discussions with China about a TikTok sale are set to begin early next week, indicating that the US has “pretty much” reached a deal. This signifies forward momentum in the prolonged effort to secure American ownership for the app.
The potential for direct engagement with President Xi Jinping or his representatives underscores the diplomatic efforts involved. This comes after Trump’s third extension of the deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US assets, pushing it to September 17.
It is worth noting that a previous deal to spin off TikTok’s US operations into a US-controlled firm was reportedly put on hold due to China’s objections, which followed the implementation of new US tariffs. This history adds a layer of complexity to the current talks.
Despite a positive personal relationship with President Xi, Trump acknowledged that securing Beijing’s approval remains a hurdle. This ongoing situation has also drawn criticism from Democratic Senator Mark Warner, who views the executive orders as an attempt to bypass existing legal frameworks.