Donald Trump Shares TikTok Plans as April 5 Ban Deadline Nears

Photo : AFP

TikTok may not get banned in the United States as President Donald Trump said a deal will be made before the April 5 deadline. The deal will make TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sell it to a new owner. Trump also said that he might reduce taxes on China to help complete the sale of TikTok, which is used by 170 million people in America.

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While speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump said that many companies want to buy TikTok. He said that TikTok is very popular, and he wants the app to continue working in the United States. A last week said that big investors are working on a plan to buy TikTok’s US business from ByteDance.

When Trump became President in January, he gave TikTok time until April 5 to find a new owner. If TikTok does not find a new owner, the app will be banned in the US. The US government believes that TikTok is a security risk because ByteDance is a Chinese company. Some people in Washington think that China might use TikTok to spread false news or collect data about Americans. This is why the US government wants TikTok to be owned by an American company.

Trump earlier said that he might extend the deadline if needed. He also said that China’s approval is important for the sale to happen. Trump suggested that he might lower taxes on China to help complete the deal. This shows that Trump thinks TikTok’s sale is very important and he is ready to make a deal with China.

TikTok has not yet said anything about the new update. However, China’s Commerce Ministry has said that China is open to talking with the US, but only if the deal is fair for both countries. This was said during a press conference on Thursday.

In the last two months, Trump has added 20% extra tax on all Chinese products coming to the US. Trump has used tax policies in the past to pressure China and it looks like he is doing the same with TikTok’s sale. The biggest challenge is that China must agree to the deal, as TikTok is worth billions of dollars.

On January 20, when Trump became President, he warned that if China does not agree to the TikTok deal, he will increase taxes on Chinese goods. The app’s future became uncertain when the US Supreme Court supported a law that ByteDance must sell TikTok by January 19. Because of this, TikTok was briefly shut down in January but started working again after Trump delayed the ban.

After becoming President, Trump extended the TikTok deadline to April 5 by signing a new order. Later, he said that he could extend it again if needed. The White House is very involved in the TikTok deal and is helping to find a buyer.

As April 5 gets closer, TikTok’s future in America is still not clear. A deal may happen soon, but if it does not, Trump may extend the deadline again to give more time for the sale to happen.