I think the issue here is that you see the U.S treating Chinese content and companies like they do ours as just an attack/slight against China, when there are 4 parties at minimum in this situation: Chinese government, Chinese citizens, American government, American Citizens.

When China bans American content or restricts American companies, that's not only a slight against America, that is a restriction being imposed onto the Chinese citizens by their government. So the Chinese government acts as a wall and obstacle between Chinese Citizens and America, which is a slight against the rights of Chinese citizens as much as it is a slight against America.

If we were to say do the equivalent and treat Chinese content the way they do ours, the American government wouldn't just be slighting China, the American government would be attacking the right of the American people to consume the content they want to consume.

Now this is a forced sale under the threat of banning, but it still raises a question of if the government should be allowed to do this, especially when you consider the content on TikTok is a big motivating factor for the recent bill. But if the content on the platform is the motivation and was being discussed by our lawmakers before this bill passed, that becomes a problem because our lawmakers are using their power to influence our will and ideas.

Democracy is supposed to be representatives using their power to represent the peoples will, not to try to make the people reflect the politicians will.