Hotter, China Urges US To Prove TikTok Threatens National Security

JAKARTA - Chinese authorities have urged the United States (US) government to prove statements about the short video application from China, TikTok is a threat to US national security.

"(Until now) the US has not been able to show evidence that TikTok is threatening its national security," said Chinese Foreign Ministry (MFA) spokesman Wang Wenbin in Beijing, Friday (17/3).

Unable to prove the threat, Beijing opposes the US stance it deems excessive and abuses power by banning foreign companies, such as ByteDance, China's internet technology company developing Tik-Tok.

"The US must respect market economic principles and healthy business competition," Wang said.

He also urged the US to no longer pressure and discriminate against foreign companies operating in these superpowers.

"Data security should not be used as a tool to abuse state power that hinders foreign companies," he added.

The White House ordered US government agencies to remove the TikTok app from all devices according to a Congressional order. The TikTok app is considered to have the potential to threaten US national security.

TikTok users in the US are estimated at more than 100 million people.