Beijing warns of consequences over TikTok ban proposal

Beijing says ban on TikTok would ‘inevitably come back to bite the United States,’ raising concerns over potential repercussions

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote later Wednesday on a bill forcing the app to cut ties with its Chinese owner or get banned in the U.S.

The legislation is the biggest threat to the video-sharing app. It has surged to massive popularity worldwide while raising fears among governments and security officials over its Chinese ownership and potential subservience to the Communist Party in Beijing.

Ahead of the vote, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin condemned the proposed ban.

“Although the United States has never found evidence that TikTok threatens US national security, it has not stopped suppressing TikTok,” he said.

“This kind of bullying behavior that cannot win in fair competition disrupts companies’ normal business activity, damages the confidence of international investors in the investment environment, and damages the normal international economic and trade order,” he added.

“In the end, this will inevitably come back to bite the United States itself,” Wang said.

The vote will likely occur at 10 a.m. (2 p.m. GMT) and is expected to pass overwhelmingly, a rare moment of bipartisanship in politically divided Washington.

The bill’s fate is uncertain in the Senate, where key figures oppose making such a drastic move against a hugely popular app with 170 million U.S. users.

President Joe Biden will sign the bill, known officially as the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” into law if it comes to his desk, the White House has said.

The company says that TikTok staunchly denies any ties to the Chinese government and has restructured the company so that U.S. users’ data stays in the country.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is in Washington, trying to shore up support to stop the bill.

“This latest legislation being rushed through at unprecedented speed without even the benefit of a public hearing poses serious Constitutional concerns,” wrote Michael Beckerman, TikTok’s vice president for public policy, in a letter to the bill’s co-sponsors seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Source: AFP

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