中 "Pompeo US Secretary of State's Remarks on Removing TikTok and WeChat Are Tyranny"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eunbyeol] The Chinese government strongly criticized U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's remarks that Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat should be removed from the U.S. app store.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 6th, "We firmly oppose Pompeo and other U.S. politicians suppressing China's advanced technology companies under the pretext of national security."

Regarding the U.S. actions, he argued, "It is an act of tyranny aimed at maintaining its technological monopoly position and threatening the global supply chain," adding, "Many Chinese companies subjected to the U.S.'s unilateral sanctions are innocent."

He also condemned Pompeo's statement about establishing a 'Clean Network' as "absurd and laughable."

On the 5th (local time), Secretary Pompeo stated, "I want to see untrusted Chinese apps like TikTok and WeChat removed from the U.S. app store." He added that these apps are tools for the Chinese Communist Party's content censorship and pose a serious threat to Americans' personal information. TikTok, a short video sharing app, is a globally popular sharing app, and WeChat is a chat app used by most Chinese people.