China has condemned the bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to ban the TikTok app unless it separates from its Chinese parent company. Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong stated at a press conference, "The United States should sincerely respect the principles of a market economy and fair competition and stop unfairly suppressing foreign companies. It should also provide an open, fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for foreign companies to invest and operate in the United States." He added, "China will take all necessary measures to firmly protect its legitimate rights and interests."
In a separate press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated that the U.S. vote "contradicts the principles of fair competition and international economic and trade rules," pointing out that "if so-called national security justifications can be used to arbitrarily suppress outstanding companies from other countries, there is no fairness or justice at all." He further remarked, "When someone sees something good in someone else and tries to take it for themselves, this is the logic of a highway robber."
