Hajra Naz
It’s been more than 200 days since the Senate-approved TikTok sell-off bill officially took effect. Yet the standoff between Washington and Beijing shows no sign of easing.
This week, Chinese officials again made it clear: they will not sell TikTok’s closely guarded algorithm as part of any U.S. deal. The statement came through state-run outlet China Daily, which also aimed at the White House for launching its own TikTok account despite ongoing national security concerns.
The Biden administration unveiled its official TikTok channel on Monday, quickly posting several updates. That move drew sharp criticism from Beijing, which argued it undermines U.S. claims that TikTok poses a security risk.
As China Daily wrote:
“That the White House now has its own TikTok account undoubtedly contradicts the ‘national security threat’ rhetoric that claims ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government and that the app could be used to influence US citizens.”
Of course, a White House account does not remove risks. Many fear TikTok could still let Chinese authorities gather data. It could also spread pro-CCP stories to shape views in the West.
Still, Chinese officials noted the clear contradiction. They also pointed to wider U.S. limits on Chinese tech. They cited Huawei, ZTE, and DJI, saying the firms were unfairly hit with “unwarranted security” claims.
Ultimately, the message from Beijing hasn’t changed: TikTok’s algorithm isn’t for sale. And despite Washington’s pressure, China is standing firm, keeping the platform’s “black box” firmly out of American hands.
