A major confrontation between Washington and Beijing is still ongoing. Since the top global economies are not able to come to an understanding, US President Donald Trump has decided that it is time to take action against more Chinese companies. The activity of Chinese firms added to the US sanction list will be limited on the territory of the United States.
Donald Trump stated that the White House was contemplating punitive measures against more Chinese companies operating in America, such as the e-commerce giant Alibaba.
Earlier, the President has signed an executive order to ban TikTok on the territory of the country. This way Trump seeks to invalidate ByteDance's purchase of Musical.ly, which later became TikTok. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, has already started to review the deal.
CFIUS launched an investigation in November 2019 confirming that it was a shady acquisition. Consequently, the American leader was advised to restrict TikTok’s activity due to national security concerns.
Under the executive order, ByteDance and its subsidiaries are obliged to remove any personal data obtained by TikTok or Musical.ly from US users. The document outlines that mobile applications developed and owned by companies in China threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.
The Chinese authorities disagree with the rhetoric adopted by the White House. Thus, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng reckons the actions of the US officials only create an adverse impact on the image of his country on the international stage. The United States discredits all China’s political and economic steps, often resorting to lies, Le Yucheng emphasizes.
The TikTok situation clearly demonstrates the attitude of the American authorities towards China. Le Yuchen is sure that Donald Trump has limited the company's operation in the United States based on false evidence. The President is able to ban the Chinese application if it is not purchased by an American company. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister considers the accusations of a threat to national security against TikTok as a reason for manipulation for the benefit of American business.
