Part 9/10:
Trump emphasizes that any agreement would require Chinese approval, and he suggests that the US aims to sever TikTok’s ties with China entirely. The concern, underscored by critics, is that TikTok has been used as a tool for data theft and for propagating Chinese narratives within America—raising issues of privacy, security, and ideological influence.
Chang stresses that the negotiation over TikTok is intertwined with broader trade tensions and strategic competition. The US insists that American control over TikTok is a matter of national security and is skeptical of negotiations that do not involve complete American ownership and the severing of ties with Beijing.