China expressed pleasure Thursday at the U.S. decision to overturn decrees by the Donald Trump administration that sought to outlaw popular apps TikTok and WeChat.
The decision is a positive step amid strained relations between the two countries, China’s Ministry of Commerce said.
We hope the U.S. will give fair treatment to Chinese companies and avoid politicizing economic and trade issues, spokesman Gao Feng said during his regular press conference.
The decision to repeal previous measures against the apps is a positive step in the right direction, Gao said.
The White House on Wednesday repealed several executive orders by then-President Donald Trump against Chinese apps such as messaging app WeChat, short-form video app TikTok and payment app Alipay. A new executive order from President Joe Biden says the U.S. will scrutinize evidence regarding transactions with apps created, provided or controlled by China.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated at its daily press conference that China will continue to defend its interests and urged the U.S. to stop generalizing the concept of national security and abusing state power to suppress Chinese tech companies.
The courts blocked Trump’s attempts to ban TikTok and WeChat, but the U.S. Foreign Investment Committee is still conducting a review of TikTok to determine whether it affects national security.
The Biden administration’s position reflects concerns that Chinese apps will come under pressure from the ruling Communist Party to disclose users’ personal data.
