"President Trump was instrumental in this. We called the president last night and received specific directions, which we then shared with the Chinese side," Bessent stated in Madrid, Spain, on 15/9.
Trump had previously hinted at this outcome. "The big trade meeting between the US and China is going very well in Europe. It’s close to being finished. We also made a deal on a company that our young people very much want to be protected. They will be very happy! I will be speaking to President Xi on Friday," he posted on Truth Social on 15/9.
 |
The TikTok app icon on a smartphone in a photo taken on 13/7/2021. Photo: Reuters |
The TikTok app icon on a smartphone in a photo taken on 13/7/2021. Photo: Reuters
US and Chinese diplomats met this week in Madrid to discuss trade and other matters. Bessent, who led the US delegation in this round of negotiations, had previously indicated that TikTok was one of the topics on the agenda.
Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly signed executive orders extending deadlines for ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to sell its US operations. The latest deadline required ByteDance to divest from TikTok US by 17/9 or face a shutdown. This is in accordance with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversaries Control of Applications from Foreign Adversaries Act (PAFACA), passed by Congress and signed into law by former President Joe Biden.
The original deadline was 20/1. App stores like Apple and Google, as well as internet service providers, would face penalties if they continued to support TikTok.
After taking office, President Trump signed an executive order postponing the ban for 75 days and allowing app stores to resume downloads. He then granted further extensions of 75 and 90 days.
The law grants the President discretion in enforcing the ban. However, critics argue that Trump's extensions have undermined Congress's intent.
At the end of his first term, Trump supported banning TikTok. However, his stance shifted after viewing the app as instrumental in his 2024 election victory.
TikTok currently has about 170 million users in the US. US officials have expressed concerns about China potentially using TikTok to collect user data, a claim TikTok has consistently denied.
Ha Thu (via Reuters, CNN)
