'Open Robbery!': China stooge aghast as Trump seeks US cut from any Microsoft-TikTok sale

China has accused the US of ‘robbing’ TikTok and criticised Donald Trump for demanding a ‘substantial portion’ from its sale to an American company. Trump, on Monday, warned that Tiktok will go ‘out of business in the US’ if not sold to American company within six weeks.

Reacting to Trump’s decision against the Chinese firm, Beijing’s mouthpiece ‘Global Times’ Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin termed it as an ‘open robbery’. He further said ‘God was watching how Trump was turning America into a rogue country’

READ | Trump Says TikTok Will Go 'out Of Business' If Not Sold To American Company Within 6 Weeks

Trump’s open threat to TikTok

As TikTok faces the heat worldwide due to its Chinese origin and issues related to data security, Trump said that the Chinese company will go out of business in September in his country if not sold to an American company. He also gave six weeks’ time to Tiktok to sell its US operations to an American company. He added that the government wanted a financial benefit from the deal.

“It's got to be an American company... it's got to be owned here. We don't want to have any problem with security. I set a date of around September 15, at which point it's going to be out of business in the United States," Trump said.

However, to a major surprise, Trump said that a 'substantial portion' of that price will go to Treasury of the United States as he is the one giving the nod for buying TikTok to American companies. "A very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because we're making it possible for this deal to happen," Trump told reporters.

READ | Republican Senators Back Plans Of Divesting TikTok's US Operations, Call It 'win-win'

Microsoft looking to buy TikTok In US

Earlier on August 3, Microsoft Corp confirmed the intent to purchase TikTok service in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, which will lead to tech giant owning and operating TikTok in these markets. The confirmation comes after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella held talks with US President Donald Trump as the latter raised concern over the security arising out of the use of China-based social media app.

Microsoft said in a statement that the company “fully appreciates” the importance of addressing the concerns, adding that it is committed to acquiring TikTok “subject to a complete security review”. It also emphasised on providing “proper economic benefits” to the US, including the Department of Treasury.

READ | Microsoft To Purchase TikTok In US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

READ | Internet Sector In US Calcified; Twitter & FB 'not Fun': China's Stooge Bats For TikTok