US and Chinese officials will meet for a second day of trade talks in Spain on Monday, with the fate of TikTok hanging over the negotiations.
The discussions, led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, come as the deadline for TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a ban in America nears.
Both sides are seeking to extend a fragile tariffs truce, first agreed in July and currently set to expire on November 10. That agreement temporarily eased import taxes that had soared above 100 percent on some goods, buying time for talks on trade practices and national security concerns.
The TikTok issue adds further tension. Formerly a fierce critic of the app, President Donald Trump has delayed its ban three times since returning to office, softening his stance after gaining traction on the platform during the 2024 campaign. Last month, the White House even launched an official TikTok account.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump was evasive: “We may let [TikTok] die. Or we may… I don’t know. It depends. Up to China, it doesn’t matter too much.” The remarks fuelled expectations that the looming Wednesday deadline will once again be pushed back.
Despite longstanding US concerns over data privacy and Chinese influence, Trump has recently called such fears “highly overrated.” Analysts say the repeated delays suggest Washington may be prioritising trade concessions from Beijing over an outright ban.
The app, with an estimated 170 million American users, has become one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. Its uncertain future underscores the broader strains between the world’s two largest economies.
Officials are also expected to use this week’s talks to prepare for a possible meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October, during a summit in South Korea.
