'It goes against WTO principles': China accuses US of 'outright bullying' over TikTok

China on Tuesday accused the United States of "outright bullying" after President Trump said the US government ought to get a “substantial portion” of sales coming in from operating the app in the country.

Also Read:Trump says US should get a 'substantial portion' of TikTok sales

"It goes against the principles of market economy and the WTO principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination," China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Watch:

The US president has given the Chinese-owned video app six weeks to sell its US operations to an American company while asserting that "it's got to be an American company... it's got to be owned here" even as TikTok's parent company ByteDance said it was evaluating the possibility of establishing TikTok's headquarters outside of the US.

US tech giant Microsoft is an advanced discussion to buy the popular video app from ByteDance subject to security review.

"I set a date of around September 15, at which point it's going to be out of business in the United States," the US president had said as he looked to pressure the Chinese app company.

The app is under scrutiny by the US over national security issues with officials claiming that it collects personal data and would share it with Chinese officials if they demand it.

"The US is using an abused concept of national security and, without providing any evidence, is making presumptions of guilt and issuing threats to relevant companies," China's foreign ministry had said on Monday.