It looks like Groundhog Day as soon as once more for TikTok within the U.S., with the platform’s fourth prolonged deadline to be bought off to a U.S.-based companion, or face expulsion from the area, set to run out on December sixteenth.
And regardless of the White Home approving a TikTok sell-off deal, and assuring Individuals that the app would proceed to be in operation, with this final extension merely a formality to finalize the small print of the sale, there has nonetheless been no affirmation of any sale of TikTok to a U.S. entity, with the Chinese language authorities refusing to log off on any deal at this stage.
Which signifies that, as soon as once more, Individuals will face the prospect of TikTok going darkish in a few weeks. Or President Trump will simply prolong the deadline as soon as once more, beneath the promise of a pending deal.
Which can or might not be shut, as a result of based mostly on what we’ve heard from U.S. negotiators, they actually don’t know how the Chinese language authorities goes to rule on a sell-off.
Again in October, after a gathering with Chinese language commerce officers in Kuala Lumpur, inside which the U.S. delegation was assured of securing remaining sign-off on a U.S. TikTok sale, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that:
“We finalized the TikTok settlement when it comes to getting Chinese language approval, and I might anticipate that will go ahead within the coming weeks and months, and we’ll lastly see a decision to that.”
But, that approval has by no means materialized, with Chinese language state media reporting that officers had agreed to “appropriately tackle points associated to TikTok,” whereas additionally noting that varied different parts of U.S.-China commerce would have to be resolved as a part of broader negotiations.
So whereas Chinese language officers have been open to dialogue, there’s nothing to counsel that they’re going to approve the sell-off of a Chinese language firm to a U.S. proprietor, no less than not with out satisfactory commerce compensation in return.
What that could be, we don’t know, although some experiences have indicated that the CCP is looking for President Trump’s help of China’s possession declare over Taiwan, one thing that the U.S. has lengthy opposed, in help of Taiwan’s independence. Extra not too long ago, Chinese language officers have expressed issues about America’s newest commerce offers with Malaysia and Cambodia, which additionally embrace language “that encourages the nations to align with Washington on nationwide safety points, together with export controls, funding screening and sanctions.”
Which Chinese language officers have lengthy warned towards, and it does appear to be no less than a few of these points may very well be constructed into any TikTok sell-off plan, if the U.S. is to win CCP approval.
Which we don’t know that it ever will, however again in October, when President Trump held a media occasion to announce that he’d saved TikTok, he actually appeared assured {that a} deal was only a matter of time.
How a lot time, I suppose, is the true query.
It will actually be a PR win for Trump, who may tout that he’s saved the app to spice up his enchantment with younger voters, and the CCP doubtless is aware of how priceless it’s for the President on this respect. Which may very well be why they’re holding out, searching for extra to be added into the deal to safe its sign-off on the association.
Both manner, put together for the TikTok sale discussions to ramp up as soon as once more, as we have now solely two weeks until the app is both bought off or banned within the U.S., or Trump points one more government order to maintain issues as they’re.
