How will the TikTok saga end in the United States? There are only a few days left until Saturday, April 5, when the social network must find a buyer in the United States. And according to Donald Trump, a deal to sell the platform used by one in two Americans will indeed be concluded with ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, within the given deadline, reports Reuters, Tuesday, April 1. In contrast to this statement by the American president, others are instead banking on an extension of the reprieve granted to TikTok.
In January, the American president, who had just arrived at the White House, came to TikTok's rescue. The billionaire offered the platform an initial extension of the deadline within which it was supposed to find a non-Chinese buyer – until April 5. After this deadline, the platform will be banned across the Atlantic under the April 2024 law adopted for national security reasons. In the United States, the social network is accused of being a Trojan horse for the Chinese Communist Party, allowing Beijing to spy on or influence American citizens – accusations that China still vigorously denies. The law passed during Joe Biden's term requires TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to cede the platform in the country, or face a complete ban.
A new reprieve granted?
Donald Trump, who spoke aboard Air Force One last Sunday, repeated that many potential buyers had come forward. Among them was Blackstone: the private equity firm was reportedly considering taking a minority stake in TikTok, via a group of non-Chinese shareholders that would be well-positioned to win the sale, according to Reuters. In early March, Donald Trump had declared that "four different groups" were interested in buying TikTok, without giving further details.
A few weeks earlier, the White House tenant, who had become omnipresent in this matter, had put forward that he would push back the April deadline if no agreement on the platform had been reached. According to the New York Post, this is the most likely scenario. The American media outlet believes that a grace period of 30 days, or even more, should be announced. The sale agreement could provide for ByteDance to retain a minority stake in TikTok.
Another possibility: an extension could also be decided as part of the trade negotiations taking place between China and the United States. Donald Trump has suggested that the sale of the social network could serve as a bargaining chip in the trade war between the two countries. On that occasion, the billionaire stressed that he could grant "a small reduction in customs duties or something like that to get the deal (to sell TikTok - Editor's note) concluded." The proposal had been immediately declined by Beijing.
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