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China has described a potential TikTok ban as “an act of intimidation” that would backfire on the United States.
The comments, made Wednesday through China’s Foreign Ministry, came hours before the House of Representatives voted on legislation that would force TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the short-form video app to a U. S. company, or face a ban in the U. S. where it has more than 170 million users.
“Even though the US has not found evidence on how TikTok endangers its national security, it has never stopped going after TikTok,” Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the ministry, told CNN Wednesday at a news conference in Beijing.
Wang accused the US of “resorting to acts of bullying” when it could not succeed in fair competition, saying such practice would disrupt market operations, undermine investor confidence and sabotage the global economic order.
“This will eventually backfire on the US itself,” he said.
U. S. officials and lawmakers have long expressed that the Chinese government could simply force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to hand over knowledge collected from U. S. users. They are also concerned that the app could simply be used as a tool through Beijing to spread propaganda and disinformation. or influencing Americans.
Cybersecurity experts say national security considerations surrounding TikTok remain a hypothetical, albeit concerning, scenario. Officials have publicly presented evidence that the Chinese government accessed the knowledge of American TikTok users, an end result that lawmakers say their bill aims to prevent.
The House vote will take place under fast-track regulations that require a two-thirds majority to pass, which is highly likely with broad bipartisan support. The bill will then move to the Senate, where its fate is less certain.
In recent comments to reporters, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, who chairs a House committee on China, rejected characterizations of the bill as a ban on TikTok.
“It’s not a ban,” he said. “It puts the choice squarely in the hands of TikTok to sever their relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. As long as ByteDance no longer owns the company, TikTok can continue to survive … the basic ownership structure has to change.”
China has said in the past that it will “firmly oppose” any forced sale of TikTok.
“The sale or transfer of TikTok refers to the export of technology, and administrative authorization procedures will need to be carried out in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations,” a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said in March last year.
“The Chinese will make a resolution in accordance with the law. “
On Chinese social media site Weibo, Tiktok ranked among the trending topics on Wednesday, with the hashtag “Tiktok Starting to Fight Back” attracting 80 million views. Many users have expressed their support for the app and its efforts to challenge the bill, adding a full-screen notification that encourages users to call their representatives; some have accused the United States of being hypocritical.
“Let me tell you a joke: American society is liberal and democratic, and has an entire market economy,” read one comment with 2,000 votes in favor.
The state-run Global Times newspaper, a nationalist tabloid, came to TikTok’s defense.
In an op-ed last week, he accused the U. S. of “openly seeking to borrow TikTok. “
“The symbol of free speech and the rule of law in America is in tatters, and the latest bill is just further proof,” he said.
CNN’s Brian Fung contributed to this story.
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