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Under Trump, could TikTok become China’s bargaining chip?

Refusing to sell the popular video-sharing app to the Americans could help Beijing assert its stance in what it sees as US bullying.

While TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is a private firm, any sale of its prized algorithm would have to be approved by the Chinese government. — While TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is a private one, any sale of its prized algorithm would have to be approved by the Chinese government.PHOTO: REUTERS

BEIJING – US President Donald Trump appeared to have thrown down the gauntlet to China over TikTok, the popular video-sharing app that could see its interests overshadowed by the broader tussle between Washington and Beijing.

As he returned to the White House on Jan 20, Mr Trump unveiled a fresh proposal for a joint US-China venture of the app and paused an impending ban in the US – where it has some 170 million users – for 75 days.

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