President Trump says he got Beijing's blessing for his TikTok deal, but China isn't talking - and that silence might be the most telling part of the story. While Trump signed executive orders Thursday claiming Chinese President Xi Jinping gave him the "go ahead," Chinese state media has gone radio silent, and ByteDance didn't even show up to the signing ceremony.
The most striking thing about Trump's TikTok deal announcement wasn't what was said - it was what wasn't. While the President spent Thursday claiming he'd secured China's blessing for a restructuring that would keep TikTok alive in America, Beijing's response has been deafening silence.
Chinese state media, usually quick to trumpet any perceived diplomatic wins, stayed mum on the deal. Social media chatter was minimal, with only one state-affiliated Weibo account bothering to quote a Fudan University professor calling it a "win-win." That's hardly the victory lap you'd expect if China actually endorsed Trump's proposal.
Even more telling: ByteDance didn't send anyone to Trump's executive order signing ceremony. The company that supposedly agreed to this deal was a no-show at its own celebration. When CNBC reached out for comment, ByteDance and the Chinese Embassy in Singapore went radio silent.
The deal itself reads like a creative workaround designed more for headlines than Beijing's approval. According to Trump's executive order, TikTok's US operations would split into two separate companies. A new joint venture would handle the core US business - data, algorithm, the works - while ByteDance would keep less than 20% ownership. A second US company would manage e-commerce and international partnerships, according to reports from Chinese outlet LastPost.
Trump's claiming this satisfies the Supreme Court-backed law requiring ByteDance to divest or face a ban. But legal experts aren't buying it. JP Morgan's James Sullivan told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" that the deal lacks clarity on algorithm control, leaving "national security concerns wide open."
The timing couldn't be more precarious for TikTok. A recent Pew Research survey shows one in five American adults now get their news from the platform - up from just 3% in 2020. That's precisely the kind of influence lawmakers fear Beijing could weaponize.
Trump first claimed Xi's approval earlier this month after a two-hour call with the Chinese leader. But Beijing's official readout told a different story. Xi was quoted saying his government would be "happy to see productive commercial negotiations" that comply with Chinese law and consider "the interests of both sides." That's diplomatic speak for "we haven't agreed to anything yet."
Xi also used the call to push back against "unilateral trade restrictions" and demand an "open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese investors." Translation: if you want our cooperation on TikTok, you better ease up on trade pressure elsewhere.
That's where this gets complicated. The TikTok negotiations are happening against backdrop of broader US-China trade talks, with both sides eyeing the platform as a bargaining chip. But China experts recently told CNBC that Beijing has little incentive to actually allow a ByteDance divestment - especially one that might set precedent for forcing other Chinese tech companies out of global markets.
The silence from China suggests they're not ready to sign off on anything resembling Trump's proposal. Beijing learned from the Trump 1.0 playbook that dramatic announcements don't always translate to lasting agreements. They're likely waiting to see if this deal can actually survive legal challenges before committing to anything.
And those challenges are coming. The Supreme Court upheld the TikTok ban law in January with specific divestiture requirements. If Trump's creative restructuring doesn't meet those terms, the whole thing could collapse in court - leaving both sides back at square one.
China's conspicuous silence on Trump's TikTok deal reveals more than any statement could. While Trump claims victory, Beijing's refusal to publicly endorse the proposal suggests they're nowhere near ready to actually sign off on it. The real test won't be Trump's executive orders or victory laps - it'll be whether China formally approves any divestment structure, and whether US courts accept creative workarounds to explicit Supreme Court requirements. Until both those boxes get checked, TikTok's fate remains as uncertain as ever.
