Bessent Says China Made ‘Aggressive Asks’ as TikTok Deal Lingers

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed Chinese negotiators had made aggressive demands during high-stakes trade talks in Madrid, where haggling over TikTok and export controls was ratcheting up tensions.

“I think on the TikTok deal itself, we are very close or we’ve resolved the issue,” Bessent told reporters Monday, as he arrived with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in the Spanish capital for a second day of negotiations. Signaling friction in those conversations, however, he added the Chinese side had made “aggressive asks,” without elaborating.

Greer added that discussions with the Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifenghad ...