China and US Reach Agreement on TikTok Following Talks in Madrid
An agreement between China and the United States over the social media platform TikTok was reached after a fourth round of negotiations in Madrid, Spain. Chinese state media emphasized that the deal was based on “mutually beneficial cooperation” and “serves the interests of both parties,” reports 24brussels.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng announced that both sides had established a basic framework consensus to address issues related to TikTok through cooperation, aimed at reducing investment barriers and enhancing economic and trade collaboration.
“Cooperation benefits both China and the United States, while confrontation guarantees losses for both,” He asserted during a press briefing following the discussions.
In the wake of the Madrid agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump extended the enforcement of the TikTok ban for an additional three months, moving the deadline to December 16 for the Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest the app’s U.S. operations. This marks the fourth time Trump has postponed the ban, following similar delays in January, April, and June.
Trump is expected to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping this Friday to further discuss the recent agreement, which aims to allow TikTok’s U.S. subsidiary—currently hosting around 150 million active users out of the platform’s 1.5 billion global users—to be placed under American ownership.
Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Li Chenggang criticized the U.S. for “improperly expanding” the concept of national security and continually broadening its sanctions list against Chinese entities. He described this approach as unilateral coercion that violates international law and undermines essential principles of global relations.
“The U.S. cannot, on the one hand, ask China to consider its concerns while, on the other hand, relentlessly suppressing Chinese companies,” Li stated. He urged Washington to amend its policies, eliminate restrictions promptly, and collaborate with China to protect the significant progress made in China-U.S. economic and trade consultations, thereby fostering healthy and sustainable bilateral relations.
