China urged the US to consider "balance of interests" in TikTok deal

China reaffirmed its position on the future of TikTok in the United States on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump said progress was being made toward shifting the app into American hands.

The Commerce Ministry released a statement saying Beijing’s stance had not changed. “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,” the ministry said. The comments come after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone on Friday.

The outcome of the discussions is seen as important not just for TikTok but also for broader trade talks. The short video app has 170 million users in the U.S., and its fate is linked to potential compromises in other areas such as agriculture and aviation, as the world’s two largest economies seek to move beyond their tariff standoff.

The Commerce Ministry urged Washington to match China’s efforts

“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 statement said.

Earlier in the week, officials from both nations reached a framework agreement during meetings in Madrid. Chinese state media described the outcome as a “win-win,” while pledging to review TikTok’s technology exports and licensing of intellectual property.

That arrangement cleared one of the hurdles set by U.S. lawmakers. Congress had mandated that TikTok be blocked in the United States by January 2025 unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divested its American operations. Trump extended the divestiture deadline until December 16.

He Yadong, a spokesperson for the Commerce Ministry, repeated Beijing’s call for the U.S. to lower barriers for Chinese companies when asked about what China had gained from the Madrid talks.

A new deal would put Americans in control of TikTok

According to the White House, the new deal will give Americans the majority stake in TikTok’s U.S. operations. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Saturday that six of the seven seats on TikTok’s board would go to American representatives, and the platform’s algorithm would also be controlled in the United States.

“The final deal will be signed in the coming days,” Leavitt said. She noted that American appointees to the board would have experience in national security and cybersecurity. ByteDance, which will select the remaining board member, will not have access to the security committee.

Talks in Madrid earlier in the week, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, produced the outline of this agreement. Details have not been made public. Trump and Xi gave their approval during their phone call on Friday.

Under the plan, ByteDance will keep less than a 20 percent stake in TikTok. New investors will include Oracle Corp., venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake Management LLC, a private equity firm, a senior White House official said.

Oracle will serve as TikTok’s security partner to make sure the app meets U.S. standards. The official explained that data from American users will be stored in the U.S. and kept out of reach of Chinese authorities.

Leavitt stressed that most of the conditions had already been set. “So all of those details have already been agreed upon, now we just need this deal to be signed and that will be happening, I anticipate, in the coming days,” she said.

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