China has reiterated that any deal involving TikTok must adhere to its national laws, emphasizing that business arrangements should comply with Chinese legal requirements, particularly concerning technology exports.
This statement follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent decision to extend the deadline for the sale of TikTok’s U.S. assets by 75 days, after reports indicated that the deal was stalled.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry emphasized opposition to actions that disregard market economy principles, involve coercion, or infringe upon enterprise rights.
TikTok’s core algorithm, critical to its operations and owned by parent company ByteDance, is subject to a 2020 Chinese law that mandates government approval prior to its export.
Beijing had earlier signaled disapproval of the potential deal following increased U.S. tariffs.
