Wednesday saw the overwhelming approval of a bill by the US House of Representatives that would have required TikTok to separate from its parent business or risk being banned across the country.
Beijing: Beijing denounced Washington’s “bandit” mentality on Thursday and vowed to “take all necessary measures” to safeguard the interests of its enterprises abroad. The US law, which would have banned TikTok until it severes connections with its Chinese parent company, was approved.
The short-video app’s global popularity has surged, but Western capitals are alarmed by its ownership by Chinese tech behemoth ByteDance and its purported subordination to Beijing’s governing Communist Party.
Wednesday saw the overwhelming approval of a bill by the US House of Representatives that would have required TikTok to separate from its parent business or risk being banned across the country.
The bill still needs to pass the Senate, where a more stringent review process is anticipated before it becomes law.
He Yadong, a spokesman for Beijing’s trade ministry, stated at a press briefing on Thursday afternoon that “the US should truly respect the principles of a market economy and fair competition (and) stop unjustly suppressing foreign companies.”
He went on to say that Washington should “provide an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for foreign companies to invest and operate in the US”.
“China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” he stated.
