China sticks to its stance on TikTok’s US future after Trump, Xi call
China stuck to its stance on the future of TikTok in the U.S. on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump said a deal to switch short video app TikTok to U.S.-controlled ownership was progressing.
“China’s position on TikTok is clear: The Chinese government respects the wishes of the enterprise, and welcomes it to carry out commercial negotiations in accordance with market rules to reach a solution compliant with China’s laws and regulations, and strikes a balance of interests,” China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement, reiterating a position it has maintained over the past week.
Key questions remain about the potential U.S./China deal after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a call on Friday. They include the precise ownership structure of TikTok, how much control China will retain over the app’s inner workings, and what Beijing gets from backing down and letting the U.S. muscle in on one of China’s most successful companies, according to the Reuters news agency.
“It is hoped that the U.S. side will work towards the same goal as China, earnestly fulfil its corresponding commitments, and provide an open, fair, equitable and non-discriminatory business environment for the continued operation of Chinese enterprises in the U.S., including TikTok,” the Commerce Ministry statement added.
Since a framework deal was struck in Madrid earlier this week, Chinese officials and state media have called it a “win-win”, promising to review TikTok’s technology exports and intellectual property licensing.
He Yadong, a spokesperson for China’s Commerce Ministry, reiterated China’s hope that the U.S. reduce the barriers to trade facing Chinese firms, when asked what Beijing had got out of the Madrid deal during a news conference on Thursday.
