Yazılar

TikTok’s Chinese Owner Appears to Delay Sale Negotiations, Awaiting Chinese Government Approval

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TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, seems to be delaying the sale of the popular short video app as it awaits approval from the Chinese government, according to a report by the Washington Post. Despite efforts by President Donald Trump’s allies to broker a deal to sell TikTok to an American buyer, ByteDance appears to be stalling negotiations.

The Chinese government is expected to take a hard-line stance, possibly allowing TikTok’s U.S. operations to shut down rather than approving a sale. China reportedly hopes to leverage the situation into a broader deal with the Trump administration that includes significant concessions on trade and technology policy.

This development comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and China, as the trade war intensifies. In retaliation to U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, China imposed its own tariffs on U.S. goods. Meanwhile, TikTok, which has 170 million American users, was temporarily removed from app stores in the U.S. just before a law that would have mandated its sale took effect on January 19.

Trump signed an executive order the day after taking office, delaying enforcement of the law for 75 days. The legislation was introduced on national security concerns over the potential misuse of American user data by ByteDance.

 

Trump Administration Mulls Adding Shein and Temu to Forced Labor List

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The Trump administration is reportedly considering adding Chinese e-commerce giants Shein and Temu to its “forced labor” list under the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), according to a report from Semafor on Tuesday. However, no final decision has been made, and the administration could ultimately choose not to place either company on the list, sources familiar with the discussions told Semafor.

Both Shein and Temu have denied allegations of using forced labor in their operations. In a statement to Reuters, Shein emphasized its compliance with the U.S. UFLPA, stating that it was unaware of any such consideration. Similarly, Temu asserted its strict prohibition against forced labor, citing its Third-Party Code of Conduct that bars all forms of involuntary labor.

This potential move by the U.S. follows new tariffs imposed by China on U.S. imports, which also included several companies, such as Google, potentially signaling a response to President Trump’s tariffs that took effect on Tuesday.

 

Lawmakers Urge Trump to Consider New Curbs on Nvidia Chips Used by China’s DeepSeek

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U.S. lawmakers are calling on President Donald Trump’s administration to consider imposing new export controls on Nvidia’s AI chips, particularly the H20 model, which they allege is being used by China’s AI company DeepSeek. Republican John Moolenaar and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, co-chairs of the House of Representatives Select Committee on China, sent a letter to National Security Advisor Michael Waltz urging a review of the U.S. export control system.

The lawmakers expressed concern that the H20 chip, which is not currently covered by existing U.S. export restrictions, is being used in DeepSeek’s newly released sophisticated AI model. This comes amid growing concerns in Washington over China’s rapid advancements in AI. DeepSeek, which recently launched a free AI assistant, claims its technology uses significantly less data and is far more cost-effective than incumbent models, potentially marking a shift in the AI investment landscape.

In addition to the lawmakers’ letter, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Chief Administrative Officer notified offices not to use DeepSeek’s technology, citing an ongoing review. The U.S. government has long been concerned that China could leverage AI for cyberattacks or even bioweapons development, prompting former President Joe Biden to initiate measures to limit China’s access to AI chips.

Nvidia responded, stating that its products comply with all U.S. regulations and that the company is open to collaborating with the administration on AI-related matters.