China says US TikTok vote follows ‘logic of a bandit’

BEIJING: China yesterday slammed the approval of a US bill that would ban TikTok unless it severs ties with its Chinese parent company, blasting Washington’s ‘bandit’ mentality and vowing Beijing would ‘take all necessary measures’ to protect the interests of its companies overseas.

The short-video app has soared in popularity worldwide but its ownership by Chinese technology giant ByteDance - and alleged subservience to Beijing’s ruling Communist Party - has fuelled concern in Western capitals.

On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill that would force TikTok to divest from its parent company or face a nationwide ban.

The bill is yet to pass the Senate, where it is expected to face a tougher test in order to become law.

“The US should truly respect the principles of a market economy and fair competition (and) stop unjustly suppressing foreign companies,” Beijing’s commerce ministry spokesperson He Yadong said at a press conference yesterday afternoon.

Washington should also “provide an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for foreign companies to invest and operate in the US”, He added.

“China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” he said.

At a separate press briefing yesterday, Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the vote “runs contrary to the principles of fair competition and international economic and trade rules”.

“If so-called reasons of national security can be used to arbitrarily suppress excellent companies from other countries, then there is no fairness and justice at all,” Wang said.

“When someone sees a good thing another person has and tries to take it for themselves, this is entirely the logic of a bandit.”