US President Donald Trump says he could reduce prices on China to help conclude an agreement for the Tiktok short video application to be sold by its owner bytedance.
Trump also said that he was ready to extend a deadline of April 5 for a non-Chinese buyer of the platform.
In January, he delayed the implementation of a law adopted under the Biden administration to ban Tiktok.
The legislation, which was promulgated in 2024, cited national security reasons for the sale or a prohibited order.
“Regarding Tiktok, and China will have to play a role in this, perhaps in the form of approval, and I think they will do it,” Trump told journalists on Wednesday.
“Maybe I’m going to give them a short reduction in prices or something to do it,” he added.
Trump also said he was at least expecting the plan for an agreement to be reached by the deadline of April 5.
In response to the comments, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Beijing, “said his position several times. China’s opposition to the taxation of additional prices has always been consistent and clear.”
Trump made the comments after announcing new 25% import taxes on all cars and car parts in the United States in a decision that threatens to expand the World Trade War.
The BBC contacted Tiktok to comment.
The biggest collision point to finalize an agreement to sell the Tiktok company, which is worth dozens of billions of dollars, has always obtained the Beijing agreement.
Trump has already tried to use prices as a lever effect in negotiations.
On his first day of return to the White House, on January 20, the president threatened more import rights over China if he did not approve a tiktok agreement.
The extremely popular application is used by around 170 million Americans.
Trump, who called Tiktok to be prohibited during his first mandate as president, now has an account on the platform.
He has more than 15 million followers and said he received billions of views on the application during his presidential election campaign.
In addition, the United States has increased the samples from all China imports to 20% this month.
This doubled the prices that Trump imposed on the second world economy of February 4.
On February 10, China responded with its own prices, including a 10 to 15% tax on certain American agricultural goods.
Beijing has also targeted various American defense, defense and technology companies by adding them to an “unreliable list of entities” and by imposing export controls.
The 10% levy doubled at 20% on March 4.
China has urged the United States to regain dialogue with Beijing as soon as possible.
