US lawmakers seek to ‘break the ice’ in China visit amid trade, TikTok tensions

**US House Representatives Meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing to ‘Break the Ice’ Amid Tense US-China Relations**

A delegation of US House of Representatives members met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, expressing hopes to “break the ice” as the two global superpowers seek to stabilize their strained relationship.

This rare visit by US lawmakers comes amid a week marked by tense phone calls and high-stakes negotiations between Washington and Beijing. The trip underscores ongoing efforts to ease tensions that continue to revolve around trade disputes, the future of the popular app TikTok, and escalating military tensions in the South China Sea.

Just two days prior to the meeting, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first phone call in three months. While their discussion addressed several critical issues, including trade and security, there was no breakthrough regarding TikTok — the Chinese-owned app boasting 170 million users in the United States.

The White House reported on Saturday that a potential deal is taking shape which would place control of TikTok’s algorithm into the hands of US companies. Furthermore, US citizens would hold the majority of seats on a board overseeing TikTok’s US operations, with six out of seven board members being American.

TikTok’s algorithm is crucial as it determines the content users see, and US officials have repeatedly expressed concerns about its vulnerability to manipulation by Chinese authorities.

Despite these concerns, President Trump told reporters Saturday evening that “great American patriots” are preparing to acquire TikTok’s US operations. The app was originally slated for a ban in the US this January, but Trump has issued several orders to keep it operational while negotiations with ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company in China, continue.

“And they’re very smart technologically, and they will not let anything bad happen to TikTok,” Trump said.

Among the likely buyers of TikTok’s US operations is Oracle, the technology giant led by billionaire Larry Ellison, a longtime Trump supporter.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated in a Fox News interview on Saturday that the administration is “100 percent confident that a deal is done.” She added, “President Trump recognized the need to protect Americans’ privacy and data while also keeping this app open.”

Leavitt also emphasized TikTok’s importance, calling it “a vital part of our democratic process,” and predicted that the deal would be finalized “in the coming days.”

As both nations continue to navigate this complex relationship, the lawmakers’ visit and ongoing negotiations signal a cautious but hopeful step toward easing US-China tensions.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/us-lawmakers-seek-to-break-the-ice-in-china-visit-amid-trade-tiktok-tensions/articleshow/124036815.cms