London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Positive Step In Right Direction: China On US Revoking TikTok, WeChat Ban

Positive Step In Right Direction: China On US Revoking TikTok, WeChat Ban

The US should treat Chinese companies fairly and justly and refrain from politicising trade issues, state-run CGTN quoted Commerce ministry spokesperson Gao Feng as saying.
A relieved China on Thursday welcomed the US move to drop the Trump-era executive orders to ban its popular apps TikTok and WeChat, saying it is a "positive step in the right direction".

The US should treat Chinese companies fairly and justly and refrain from politicising trade issues, state-run CGTN quoted Commerce ministry spokesperson Gao Feng as saying.

However, he said, the Biden administration's move to revoke orders against banning Chinese apps was a "positive step in the right direction".

The White House on Wednesday revoked the previous government's ban on short video sharing platform TikTok and messaging app WeChat and said the Biden administration will conduct its own review aimed at identifying national security risks with software applications tied to China.

The US order to lift the ban on the Chinese apps came as a relief here as much to the chagrin of Beijing, the Biden administration has been following the Trump-era hardline policies against China, deepening the discord between the top two major economies of the world.

Asked for his reaction to the US move to lift the ban orders, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here on Thursday that the US should stop abusing state power to suppress Chinese firms.

"The US side should earnestly respect principles of market economy, international economic and trade rules, stop overstretching the concept of national security, stop abusing state power to Chinese high tech companies and treat Chinese enterprises in a fair, just and non-discriminatory manner.

"The Chinese government continue to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of our companies," he said.

The US ban on the Chinese apps followed after India banned TikTok along with 267 other Chinese apps due to security concerns. TikTok is owned by Chinese tech unicorn ByteDance.

Former US President Donald Trump during his tenure constantly attacked ByteDance and TikTok as being a threat to US national security. His administration contended that WeChat and TikTok posed national security concerns because sensitive personal data of US nationals could be collected by Chinese government.

American politicians and officials had also expressed concerns about users' personal data being passed on to the Chinese government.

Both TikTok, which has over 100 million users in the US, and WeChat have denied the allegations.

Following the ban orders issued by the Trump administration, TikTok had moved the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review the decision.

Significantly, the Biden administration's move to lift the ban from TikTok and WeChat came as Washington and Beijing held the third round of trade consultations on Thursday.

China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao spoke with his American counterpart Gina Raimondo on Thursday, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said.

The talks followed similar discussions between Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and also between Liu and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen earlier.

China's Commerce Ministry said in a statement that both sides "had a candid and pragmatic exchange of views on relevant issues and mutual concerns in the China-US business field".

"The two sides stated that dialogue and exchanges in the field of business between China and the US are very important, and they agreed to promote the healthy development of pragmatic trade and investment cooperation and properly handle differences. Both parties agreed to continue to maintain communication," it said.

Liu and Tai held talks on May 27. It was the first dialogue held between the top trade negotiators from China and the US since Joe Biden took over as the president of the US.

On June 2, Liu held talks with Yellen.

The latest talks followed the White House announcement on Tuesday that the Biden administration will establish a trade strike force, led by Tai, to halt the "hollowing out" of American industry and the erosion of critical supply chains for products such as semiconductors and medicines, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

The measures were contained in a 255-page review released on the same day the US Senate passed a sweeping USD 250 billion bill to boost US competitiveness in the face of mounting geopolitical tension with China.

Trump kicked off a trade war with China in 2018, demanding that Beijing should reduce the mounting trade deficit between the two countries. The whole lot of tariffs clamped by him on large Chinese imports is continued so far in the Biden. administration as well.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×