【By Guancha Observer Network, Lin Chenli】Local time on April 1, NBC cited two informed sources reporting that as the "grace period" for the "no sale, no ban" bill on TikTok was about to end, U.S. President Trump would hold a White House meeting on April 2 to discuss matters related to the TikTok acquisition agreement.

The sources revealed that Vice President Vance, Commerce Secretary Rutnik, Director of National Intelligence Garbage and National Security Advisor Waltz are expected to attend the meeting. The White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for more details about the meeting.

On March 6 local time, Trump stated that if no agreement was reached within the deadline, he would consider extending the impending ban for a second time. "We are very interested in TikTok. China will play an important role, so we hope China can approve this deal," he said. He also mentioned that he was negotiating with four potential buyers and that the deal might be "soon" reached.

Vance stated on March 14 that it was almost certain that a preliminary agreement could be reached before the deadline. "This agreement can address our national security concerns and allow the US to have an independent TikTok," he added. However, a White House official noted that specific details of the deal may need to be refined after April 5th.

Trump once again hinted at the acquisition case on March 30, stating that there were "many potential buyers" for TikTok. "There is great interest in TikTok, and the final decision will be made by me. Many people want to acquire TikTok. We have a great team handling the对接, basically receiving quotes," he said.

Local time on March 30, Trump stated in an interview that TikTok had many "potential buyers." Video screenshot.

The report mentioned that for months, rumors about potential buyers of TikTok have been circulating, but few public details have been disclosed. Trump has not revealed the identities of these bidders. Last month, Reid Rasner, CEO of wealth management company Omnivest Financial and Wyoming entrepreneur, revealed that he offered a guaranteed price of $47.45 billion (approximately RMB 339.72 billion) for TikTok.

Previously, Reuters reported on February 28 citing two informed sources that Blackstone Group, the largest publicly listed investment management company in the United States, intended to join a consortium led by ByteDance's shareholders, Sea Link International Group and General Atlantic Investment Group, to make a small investment in TikTok's US business.

The report stated that this consortium is currently one of the strongest competitors bidding for TikTok's US business, proposing to spin off TikTok's US operations into an independent entity and dilute ByteDance's stake in the new entity to below 20%, as required by US "non-sale, non-ban" laws.

The publicly known buyers include YouTube influencer Mr. Beast, as well as the joint bid from former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary. Additionally, multiple US media outlets reported this month that Oracle Corporation is also one of the main bidders.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated at a regular press conference on March 27 that regarding the TikTok issue, China has repeatedly clarified its position. China's stance against tariff increases is consistent and clear.

China has previously emphasized that it respects and upholds the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises. It opposes actions that violate market economic principles and harm the legitimate interests of enterprises. It hopes that the US side will listen more to the voices of enterprises and the public, providing a fair and just business environment for companies from all countries, including Chinese companies, operating in the US. It should do more to promote Sino-US economic cooperation and benefit the people of both countries. As for enterprise operations and acquisitions, they should be decided autonomously by enterprises based on market principles. If they involve Chinese enterprises, they should comply with Chinese laws and regulations.

This article is an exclusive contribution by the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7488553810126750234/

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