The U.S. has warned it will ban TikTok unless China agrees to drop demands for tariff relief and eased tech restrictions, a senior American official said Monday as reported by Reuters.
Talks in Madrid focused on whether Chinese owner Bytedance will be forced to sell TikTok to a U.S. company. Without a deal, the app could be shut down nationwide as soon as Sept. 17.
Before the meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China wanted tariff cuts and looser technology restrictions in exchange for a divestment. “Our Chinese counterparts have come with a very aggressive ask,” he told reporters. “We are not willing to sacrifice national security for a social media app.”
The negotiations are the fourth round in recent months, part of wider efforts to ease trade tensions. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the deadline extension for TikTok depends on how the talks go.
China hit back, accusing Washington of “unilateral bullying and economic coercion.” At the same time, Beijing announced an antitrust probe into U.S. chipmaker Nvidia, a move seen as retaliation against U.S. limits on China’s chip industry.
Analysts say the odds of a breakthrough are slim. “I’m not expecting anything substantive unless and until there is a one-on-one meeting between Trump and Xi,” said William Reinsch, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
For now, TikTok’s future in the U.S. hangs on whether the two sides can separate the app from a broader trade fight.
