China Signals Willingness for 50-50 TikTok Deal in U.S. Amid Trump's Executive Order

Jan 20, 2025, 01:48 PM

China has signaled its willingness to allow a deal that would keep TikTok operating in the U.S., a shift from its previous stance of opposing any forced sale of the app. This change comes after President Donald Trump expressed openness to a 50-50 joint ownership model between U.S. and Chinese interests. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that companies should independently decide their operations and acquisitions, suggesting a more cooperative approach. ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming's meeting with Elon Musk last year could be pivotal in facilitating this deal. This development follows a U.S. law that banned TikTok, which briefly went offline before being restored after Trump's promise to sign an executive order to extend the period before the law's prohibitions take effect, aiming to facilitate a deal to protect national security.