> What's unique about this is the US government is telling them to sell it to a US company

This is exactly what China does to foreign companies who wish to operate in China. The US is simply pursuing a model of reciprocal trade protections and tariffs.

The US is "simply" following the example set by a dictatorship you mean?

Yes, towards that dictatorship.

Sometimes you have to mirror your opponent to show them they are being stupid?

Ah yes, the "If you jump off a bridge I jump off a bridge" approach to teaching.

Doubt that one could seriously argue banning tiktok is jumping off a bridge.

how do you think US companies break into china?

the chinese government forces them to "sell" (i.e. "partner" where the partner is given significant concessions that would never happen without the chinese government's protection, including ownership over IP).

honestly, if one views the US in a trade war with china, then there is a concept of "national security" (in a wide view of the term, I'd agree not the traditional view in the US, but probably closer to how china views the term) to allowing chinese companies access to the US market that are not reciprocated in China.

heck, the fact that they want to "partner" is probably indicative of how the chinese view the issue. i.e. US companies have to have a chinese "partner" to enter china, so to do the same in the US, they seek out a US partner.

At least you know the rules to play before joining their game, TikTok got famous and eating into their rivals like instagram and snapchat ad revenues and the rules got changed. It's like letting foreigners invest into your market and picking the winners and forcing them to give up their work.

I'd agree with you, but do you think china doesn't behave this way?

an example might be https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/china-coronavirus-nation...

to an extent its a he-said/she-said, but if this were in the US, we would say "it's not a good look".

All countries behave this way as long as the decision maker can survive politically. I am just surprise about the US doing it in a blatant way and its not even technology they are going after, just a niche social app. US did bomb Libya to submission when it nationalized its oil industry, I guess politics in the US is really just controlled by the business donors.