Chinese foreign ministry warns of citizens-led Apple boycott if US bans WeChat

China’s foreign ministry warned on August 27 that Chinese consumers could boycott Apple products if the United States bans WeChat, a messaging, social media and mobile payment app developed by Tencent. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a regular news conference, stressed that certain US politicians are hunting down non-US companies as part of organised and systematic economic bullying.

The spokesperson accused the United States of denying the principle of market economy and fair competition while trampling on international rules. Zhao said that the "internet liberalisation" is nothing but the "Americanization of the Internet" and the term "national security" is simply a byword for "American double standards".

Read: US WeChat Users Alliance Sues Trump Over Executive Order Banning Chinese Messaging App

Read: Trump's WeChat Ban Could Could Impact IPhone Sales In China: Apple Analyst

Executive order

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning American citizens and businesses from doing any transaction with Chinese-owned application TikTok, its parent company ByteDance Ltd. and messaging app WeChat after 45 days. The executive order stated that the steps were taken because the apps threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.

Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the executive order signed by Trump to force a sale of TikTok within 45 days is “sheer gangster logic” and “daylight robbery”. Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said in an interview that the Trump administration is taking actions against the Chinese video-sharing social networking service on the basis of the presumption of guilt.

Le claimed that TikTok has been communicating with the United States for nearly a year and has even made “big compromises” like instituting an all-American management team and storing all American user data in the US and Singapore. He added that the firm made its review policy and algorithm source code public, while hiring 1,500 Americans, and promising to create another 10,000 jobs. 

“Even if it ends up being acquired, a substantial portion of the money must be paid to the US government. What kind of ‘art of the deal’ is this? This is sheer gangster logic and daylight robbery,” the ministry website quoted Le as saying.

Read: China Accuses US Of 'political Manipulation' After Trump's Order Against TikTok, WeChat

Read: Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Transaction With TikTok, WeChat In 45 Days