The US ambassador to China said on Friday that Beijing's stance on a possible TikTok ban in the United States was extremely ironic because the ruling Communist Party censors online platforms within its borders.
The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Wednesday that would compel the hugely popular short-video app to sever ties with its Chinese parent company or else face a nationwide ban.
China has strongly criticized the approval, condemning what it termed Washington's 'bandit' mentality and accusing lawmakers of unfairly suppressing foreign companies.
US ambassador Nicholas Burns criticized Beijing's stance on Friday, stating that it was unjustified considering the country blocks many Western web platforms from operating within its borders.
Nicholas Burns expressed his disapproval by saying, 'I find it extremely ironic that government officials here in China have been criticizing the United States for the debate we're currently having on TikTok,' during an online seminar hosted by the East-West Center, a US-based research organization.
He replied to a question about the avenues for American public diplomacy in China by saying, 'They won't even let TikTok be available to 1.4 billion Chinese.'
China's government tightly controls online information and censors social media content it considers politically sensitive.
Numerous Western platforms, such as Google, Facebook, and Instagram, are prohibited from operating in the country.
TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance also operates a separate version of the app in China called Douyin.
Some Western governments have expressed worries about TikTok's increasing popularity, alleging that the app's ownership makes it subservient to Beijing — an assertion TikTok denies.
The bill, which has also faced criticism from TikTok creators and users, is expected to encounter a more difficult challenge in the US Senate.
The White House has signaled that President Joe Biden would sign the bill into law if it arrives at his desk.
