For Beijing, the decisive moment came when Trump’s threat proved real. “If there hadn’t been a deal,” Bessent said, “then TikTok would’ve gone dark in 48 hours.” | Economy
The U.S. secured a breakthrough on TikTok by narrowing talks and convincing Beijing it was prepared to shut the app down, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News at the conclusion of two days of negotiations in Spain.
The framework agreement, expected to be finalized Friday in a call between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, would place TikTok under U.S. control while addressing Beijing’s desire to preserve “Chinese characteristics,” Bessent said.
“The Chinese wanted to make it into a bigger trade negotiation—everything except the kitchen sink—and we kept it narrowly focused on TikTok,” he said. “If there hadn’t been a deal, then TikTok would’ve gone dark in 48 hours—and they were very, very surprised by that.”
Trump’s Authority — and Beijing’s Miscalculation
Bessent said in the interview with Breitbart News that the deal was possible only because Trump empowered his negotiators to act decisively and backed their willingness to let TikTok go dark.
“President Trump gave Ambassador [Jamieson] Greer and myself wide-ranging authority,” Bessent said. “President Trump was willing to let TikTok go dark. That’s what shocked them.”
Chinese officials entered the Madrid talks assuming Washington would not risk a shutdown, Bessent said. Progress accelerated only after U.S. negotiators made clear the administration was prepared to walk away.
