The Chinese government has announced that it will oppose any possible attempt by the United States to force the Chinese owner of the popular short-video app, TikTok, to sell the company. The US government has expressed concerns that the app could be a security risk as its owner, ByteDance, may provide user data or browsing history to the Chinese government or use the app to promote propaganda and disinformation. The Wall Street Journal reported that US authorities are considering banning the app if ByteDance does not sell it.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokeswoman, Shu Jueting, stated that if the news is true, China will resolutely oppose it. She added that a forced sale would seriously damage investors from multiple countries, including China, and hurt confidence to invest in the United States. TikTok is a point of contention between China and other governments over technology and security, which is disrupting several industries, including processor chip and smartphone.
