China hits out at US over TikTok ban on federal devices
China has accused the US of overreacting after federal employees were ordered to remove the video app TikTok from government-issued phones.
On Monday, the White House gave government agencies 30 days to ensure that employees did not have the Chinese-owned app on federal devices. The order follows similar moves by the EU and Canada in recent weeks.
A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry accused the US of abusing state power to suppress foreign firms. “We firmly oppose those wrong actions,” spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters during a news briefing on Tuesday. “The US government should respect the principles of market economy and fair competition, stop suppressing the companies and provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for foreign companies in the US. How unsure of itself can the world’s top superpower like the US be to fear young people’s favourite app like that?”
Western officials have become increasingly concerned about the popular video sharing app – which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance – in recent months.
(BBC)
