China appears to be reversing course, much like President Trump, indicating it may be open to a joint ownership of TikTok with the US.

TikTok endured one of the shortest bans in US history, with it shuttering its service in the US as the ban went into effect on January 19, only to begin operation again in response to President Trump throwing it a lifeline.

“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” Trump told NBC News in a phone interview.

“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” he added.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump assured companies there would be no repercussions for helping to keep TikTok functional until he could grant the 90-day reprieve. He also held out the option of entering a joint ownership agreement, in which the US would gain a 50% ownership of the platform.

I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.

Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations.

I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions.

Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose.

China’s Response

In response to Trump’s post, China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning signaled the country may be open to a deal, in response to a question by Reuters.

TikTok has operated in the US for years and been very popular with American users. It has played a positive role in boosting US employment and consumption. We hope the US will earnestly listen to the voice of reason and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries. When it comes to actions such as the operation and acquisition of businesses, we believe they should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles. If it involves Chinese companies, China’s laws and regulations should be observed.

Mao Ning’s response is hardly a full endorsement of a possible deal, but it’s a far cry from China’s previous hardline stance that it would never allow TikTok to be sold, or any ownership be transferred to the US. The statements appears to be a definite softening of China’s previous stance.