[ad_1]
Beijing accused the US government of “harassment” after blocking the Chinese video platform Tiktok and threatening to take countermeasures. The United States must “stop illegal activity and comply with fair and transparent international rules,” the Chinese Commerce Ministry said on Saturday. Otherwise, China will take “necessary measures” to protect the rights and interests of Chinese companies. As a first response, a mechanism of punitive measures against foreign companies was launched. It is directed against companies that threaten the “national security” of the People’s Republic, the Commerce Ministry said.
The US government announced a ban on Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat on Friday. Apple, Google and other US corporations were instructed not to allow downloads for home users as of Sunday. Parent company Bytedance filed a complaint in federal court in Washington.
The Washington Department of Commerce justified its decision with dangers to the “national security” of the United States. Among other things, it concerns the data of around 100 million TikTok users in the US President Donald Trump suspects Tiktok of espionage for China. Bytedance rejects this accusation.
While the WeChat payment and messaging service now faces immediate restrictions, the US government has practically given ByteDance an ultimatum: Little will change for TikTok in the US by November 12, the Commerce minister said. Wilbur Ross of Fox Business Network. Until then, the ban could be lifted if ByteDance reaches an agreement with the US company Oracle on a solution that takes into account US security concerns. President Donald Trump said he thought a quick deal could be reached.
For TikTok, the announced restrictions are less drastic than expected in the run-up to the decision. When the ultimatum has expired, at least updates will no longer be possible. For WeChat, the consequences are clearer: money transactions with people in the US are no longer allowed through the messaging service. As early as Sunday, the app could become significantly slower and temporarily crash altogether. WeChat is used by one billion people around the world.
