For the Chinese authorities, selling TikTok to Elon Musk might mean handing the platform over to an ally whose business empire is heavily dependent on the Chinese market, while also being someone whose opinions are given significant weight by future U.

A potential sale to Musk would put the billionaire in an unprecedented position, owning X, one of the world’s largest social media networks, and the U.S. operations of another, all while serving as a top adviser to Donald Trump.