President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that his administration might offer China "a little reduction in tariffs" if the Chinese government approves a deal for ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. operations. The comments came during a White House news conference where Trump addressed the ongoing situation with the popular short-video app.

"China is going to have to play a role in that, possibly in the form of an approval, maybe, and I think they'll do that," Trump said. The future of TikTok in the United States has remained uncertain since last year when a bipartisan law signed by former President Joe Biden forced ByteDance to sell the app or face a nationwide ban.

The U.S. government's concerns center on national security risks posed by Chinese ownership of the platform. Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office giving ByteDance until April 5 to sell or divest TikTok's U.S. business, extending the timeline from the previous administration.

When asked about Trump's comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun referred to past statements that TikTok has always complied with U.S. laws. The spokesperson reiterated China's position that "trade wars and tariff battles produce no winners" and called for an open environment for international businesses.

TikTok briefly went offline in the U.S. just before Trump's inauguration but restored service after the president indicated he would review the ban. The Supreme Court had upheld the potential ban during the final days of the Biden administration, but the new executive order provided additional time for a solution.

Vice President JD Vance has been working with national security adviser Michael Waltz to find a buyer for the platform. Several potential buyers have emerged for TikTok, which has:

• Millions of active users
• An estimated value of up to $50 billion
• Interest from suitors including Wyoming billionaire Reid Rasner

"We will find the one that's best, best for the country," Trump said. "I'm worried about our country more than anything else with respect to TikTok." ByteDance has not commented publicly on the executive order or indicated whether it is willing to sell the app.

The TikTok situation unfolds amid broader economic concerns in the United States. Consumer sentiment dropped to 57.9 in early March according to the University of Michigan's index, the third consecutive monthly decline. Short-term inflation expectations jumped to 4.9%, while the Trump administration recently doubled tariffs on Chinese imports to 20%, prompting retaliatory measures from China against US companies.