New hope has once again arisen between China and America regarding the TikTok controversy. After the meeting of US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan on Thursday, both the countries showed progress on many important issues, however, China has approved the transfer agreement of short video app TikTok. US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant expressed hope that this deal would move forward in the coming weeks, which would resolve the matter. The deal relates to the sale of TikTok’s US operations to a group of US and global investors.
President Donald Trump had declared this sale plan to meet national security requirements, in which the algorithm has been said to be monitored by the American company. Chinese-origin company ByteDance will have less than 20% stake in this new entity. She will be able to nominate one of the seven board members.
What is China’s strategy?
After the meeting, China’s Commerce Ministry issued a statement saying that China will properly resolve the issues related to TikTok with the US. However, the ministry did not clarify what decision has been taken on the future of TikTok’s US unit. US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant recently said that the two countries are close to a final deal regarding the ownership of TikTok. The Trump administration has long been trying to ensure that TikTok’s US operations come under the control of American investors to reduce national security threats.
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The US Congress has already passed a law under which TikTok can be banned in the US if it does not separate its ownership stake from Chinese company ByteDance. After becoming President, Trump had stopped the process of banning TikTok, so that a solution could be found that would meet the data security standards while continuing the app in America.
Data and algorithm control is the real issue
The real issue behind the TikTok controversy is data and algorithmic control. China says that TikTok’s recommendation algorithm will remain under its control under Chinese law. At the same time, America demands that the app should come under complete American ownership so that there is no scope for data leakage or espionage. Analyst Bonnie Glaser, director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund, says the issue is not a big issue for President Xi Jinping, but she sees no harm in letting Trump take credit for the deal. He said the question is whether this deal is in accordance with American law and whether it will ensure the security of data of American citizens.
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43% of adults in America use TikTok
The popularity of TikTok is continuously increasing. According to a report from the Pew Research Center, 43% of adults under 30 in the US regularly get news from TikTok, more than any other social media platform. However, opinions are divided regarding the ban on TikTok in America. In surveys, about one-third of Americans have supported the ban on the app, while the same number of people are against it.
At present, the new round of talks between the two countries raises hopes about the future of TikTok. Experts believe that if this deal is finalized, it can prove to be a big step towards cooling down the technology war between China and America.
