A Chinese foreign ministry official criticised a bill in the United States that would require TikTok to divest or ban the platform, saying there is “no fairness to speak of” in using national security as an excuse to lessen other nations’ economic edge.

The action is the most recent in a slew of steps taken by Washington in response to American national security worries regarding China, including linked cars, sophisticated AI chips, and cranes stationed at American ports.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would give ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, roughly six months to sell up the U.S. assets of the short-video app or risk being banned.

“The U.S. House of Representatives passing this bill lets the United States stand on the opposite side of the principles of fair competition and international trade rules,” said ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

“If so-called national security reasons can be used to wilfully suppress other countries’ superior companies, there would be no fairness to speak of.”

China has long complained that the US overreaches the meaning of national security, and Wang has already stated that the US’s coercive tactics upset the regular order of international trade and will ultimately backfire.

“The U.S. increasing the (serious) handling of this matter lets the world see clearly whether the United States’ so-called rules-based competition is beneficial to the world or is only self-serving,” he added.

Legislators in the US have expressed concern that China’s government may obtain user data from TikTok users in the US.

About 170 million Americans use TikTok, and its future has become a major issue in Washington, where lawmakers have complained that legislators’ offices are inundated with calls from TikTok users opposing legislation.

Wang claimed that although the U.S. misused its authority to pursue TikTok, it had no proof of the company breaching national security laws.

According to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, the company has never given or received a request from the Chinese government to provide user data from Americans. “Nor would TikTok honour such a request if one were ever made,” he continued.

On the other hand, Steven Mnuchin, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary, told CNBC on Thursday that he is organising an investor group to attempt to acquire TikTok.

His remarks coincide with the passage of a measure by the US House of Representatives that would give ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns the short-video app, roughly six months to sell off its American holdings or risk being banned.

The bill was dubbed a “ban” by TikTok, which also advised lawmakers to hear from their people before acting.

“I think the legislation should pass and I think it should be sold,” Mnuchin told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday. “It’s a great business and I’m going to put together a group to buy TikTok,” he said.

Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, declared on Wednesday that the business will take legal action to stop a ban.

(Adapted from Reuters.com)