Bulletins

China would prefer a TikTok shutdown to a sale

Beijing would prefer to see ByteDance shut down TikTok U.S. rather than sell it to an American company, according to Reuters.

Sources told Reuters that Chinese officials believe selling TikTok to a U.S. firm would make China look weak amid an intensifying trade war.

ByteDance said the Chinese government has not suggested that it shut down TikTok in the U.S. But it's clear that China is not going to take President Trump's efforts against TikTok lying down. With Trump's September 20 deadline approaching fast, a sale looks less likely all the time.

Emily Birnbaum

Emily Birnbaum ( @birnbaum_e) is a former tech policy reporter with Protocol. Her coverage focuses on the U.S. government's attempts to regulate one of the most powerful industries in the world, with a focus on antitrust, privacy and politics. Previously, she worked as a tech policy reporter with The Hill after spending several months as a breaking news reporter. She is a Bethesda, Maryland native and proud Kenyon College alumna.

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