Following U.S. President Donald Trump's approval of a deal that could keep TikTok alive in the U.S. on Thursday, China has remained conspicuously quiet — a notable silence as Beijing still can ultimately decide the app's fate.
Chinese state media remained silent about the deal, while social media discussion was limited. One state-affiliated Weibo account cited a Fudan University professor, who described the agreement as a "win-win" for both countries.
During the signing of an executive order on the deal, Trump said that he had "gotten the go ahead" from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
No representatives from ByteDance were present at the signing, and ByteDance and the Chinese Embassy in Singapore did not respond to CNBC's requests for comments.
Meanwhile, certain details of the deal remain unclear. On Friday, Chinese media outlet LastPost reported that TikTok U.S.'s operations would be divided into two companies, citing unnamed sources.
A new joint-venture company, which was laid out in Trump's executive order on Thursday, would oversee TikTok's U.S. business, data and algorithm, with its China-based owner ByteDance retaining a less than 20% stake.
According to the order, this would satisfy the requirements of a U.S. national security law requiring ByteDance to divest from TikTok's U.S. operations or face an effective ban in the country.
ByteDance will also set up a new U.S. company responsible for e-commerce, brand advertising and managing ties with TikTok's international operations, LastPost reported, citing anonymous sources.