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B(,-,NG, - There is ‘no fairness to speak of’ in citing national security to reduce the competitive advantage of other countries, a spokesperson of the Chinese )oreign 0inistry said yesterday, criticising a 8S Bill to force a TikTok divestiture or ban.

The measure is the latest in a series of moves in Washington to respond to 8S national security concerns about China, from connected vehicles to advanced artificial intelligence chips to cranes at 8S ports. Wednesday’s bill, overwhelmingly passed by the 8S +ouse of 5epresentatives, would give TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance about si[ months to divest the 8S assets of the short-video app, or face a ban.

Competition

³The 8S +ouse of 5epresentatives passing this Bill lets the 8nited States stand on the opposite side of the principles of fair competition and international trade rules,” said ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

³,f so-called national security reasons can be used to wilfully suppress other countries’ superior companies, there would be no fairness to speak of.”China has persistently railed that the 8nited States overstretches the concept of national security, and Wang has previously said its bullying acts, as he described them, disrupt normal international trade order, and will eventually backfire.

³The 8S increasing the serious handling of this matter lets the world see clearly whether the 8nited States’ so-called rules-based competition is beneficial to the world or is only self-serving,” he added. 8S legislators have raised fears that TikTok’s 8S user data could be passed on to China’s government.