Popupar short-video social media platform Tiktok, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance – under the auspices of its owner Shou Zi Chew, faced a harsh ban in the United States, which was effective from January 19th.
However, Trump’s inauguration has brought what is believed to be good news for about 170 million American TikTok users.
But in China, where TikTok’s parent company is based, the reception has been less positive, largely because Trump has suggested he could require the company to give up a 50% stake to avert a shutdown and suggested tariffs on Chinese goods could hinge on whether Beijing approves a potential future deal.
On Chinese social media, Trump’s suggestions were met with dissatisfaction. Tens of millions of users on the social media platform Weibo flocked to hashtags related to the potential 50-50 ownership, with many decrying the US government’s “robbery.”
