Donald Trump’s much-touted call with Xi Jinping failed to finalize a long-awaited deal to spin off TikTok’s US operations, but China’s top leader did signal his blessing for the plan – as long as it aligns with Beijing’s interests. At first glance, Beijing’s willingness to play ball on TikTok looks like a sharp reversal from its years of resistance to relinquishing control over the viral video app – the first global social media hit to come out of China.
But rather than bowing to Trump’s pressure campaign, analysts say, Chinese leaders are using an app cherished by the US president and millions of Americans as leverage to extract other, far more consequential concessions.