1 month ago
The Chinese Embassy has held meetings pinch Capitol Hill staffers to protect TikTok from a imaginable forced sale, according to a report.
The meetings took spot pinch Chinese diplomats aft nan House passed authorities pinch an overwhelming bipartisan ballot past period that would unit Chinese divestment from TikTok aliases spot nan app banned, Politico reported.
Two legislature staffers, 1 from nan House and nan different from nan Senate, told nan outlet connected information of anonymity that nan Chinese Embassy initiated interaction and downplayed nationalist information concerns complete TikTok.
In 1 meeting, nan embassy said that banning nan societal media app would beryllium harmful for U.S. investors who clasp ownership of genitor institution ByteDance, according to Politico.
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TikTok’s critics person agelong called nan societal media app a nationalist information threat. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
In different meeting, Chinese diplomats based on that TikTok was being treated unfairly because it is simply a Chinese institution and that different companies extracurricular of China would not beryllium treated nan aforesaid way, nan staffers told nan outlet.
TikTok told Politico successful a connection that its study was "absurd" and that nan institution had nary knowledge of immoderate meetings betwixt nan Chinese Embassy and congressional staffers. The Chinese Embassy told Politico successful a connection that it was lobbying for each Chinese companies to beryllium treated fairly, not conscionable TikTok.
Fox News Digital reached retired to nan Chinese Embassy for remark but did not instantly perceive back.
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The legislation, led by House China Select Committee Chair Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and ranking personnel Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., would artifact TikTok successful nan U.S. if ByteDance does not divest from it wrong 165 days of passage. It would besides require it to beryllium bought by a state that is not a U.S. adversary.
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TikTok’s critics person agelong called nan societal media app a national information threat. They person cited concerns astir nan Chinese government’s expertise to leverage its powerfulness complete ByteDance to entree delicate personification data, moreover successful nan U.S., thing nan institution has denied.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
