China vows action after US TikTok vote

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Mar 2024 11:49

Beijing's Commerce Ministry spokesperson warns the US to "truly respect the principles of a market economy and fair competition [and] stop unjustly suppressing foreign companies."

The TikTok logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays the TikTok home screen in 2023 in Boston. (AP)

China strongly criticized the passing of a US bill that mandates TikTok to cut ties with its Chinese parent company or face a ban. Simultaneously, Beijing pledged to "take all necessary measures" to safeguard the interests of its companies abroad.

The US House of Representatives passed a bill with a strong majority on Wednesday, aiming to compel TikTok to separate from its parent company or risk being banned nationwide. However, the bill must still navigate the Senate, where it is anticipated to encounter more challenges before potentially becoming law.

The vote is the latest in an ongoing political struggle over claims that the China-based business collects sensitive user data and deliberately censors material. TikTok has denied these allegations and has affirmed that it will not leak American users' data to Chinese authorities.

US must respect fair competition

In response, Beijing's Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yadong said at a press conference on Thursday that "the US should truly respect the principles of a market economy and fair competition [and] stop unjustly suppressing foreign companies."

He emphasized that Washington must create an environment that is "open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory" for foreign companies to invest and operate within the United States.

"China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," he affirmed.

Following the bill's adoption by the committee, White House staffers claimed that TikTok fans inundated Congress with phone calls after the app sent out a notice asking users to reject the measure.

“Why are Members of Congress complaining about hearing from their constituents? Respectfully, isn’t that their job?,” TikTok posted on X.

China could use TikTok to 'influence' US elections, spy chief claims

During a House of Representatives intelligence committee hearing on Wednesday, Avril Haines, the US director of national intelligence, claimed that China might leverage the social media app TikTok to impact the 2024 US elections.

In response to a question from Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi regarding whether China's ruling Communist Party (CCP) would use TikTok to influence the elections, Haines stated, "We cannot dismiss the possibility that the CCP would utilize it."

Lawmakers expressed concerns that the Chinese government could access user data or influence what content the users see, adding that they could be trying to "exacerbate political divisions within the United States."

Krishnamoorthi, the ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on China, and the panel's Republican chair, Mike Gallagher, introduced a bill last week that would mandate that TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, divest the short video app within approximately six months.

There are currently 170 million American users on TikTok. Thus, the banning of TikTok in the US could leave a market worth around $431 billion to be tapped by three American tech giants, as Washington's pressure mounts over the social media app, according to a report by Forbes.