China has lodged a solemn representation against Australia's banning of TikTok on government devices, urging the country to provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
File photo: Xinhua
"We call on Australia to earnestly abide by the rules of the market economy and the principle of fair competition, and provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises," said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning at a routine press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.
The Australian government ordered all federal agencies to remove the popular video sharing service from all government devices amid security concerns.
"China's foreign ministry has lodged a solemn representation with Australia, stressing that data security should not be exploited as a tool to overstretch the concept of national security, abuse national power or arbitrarily oppress foreign enterprises," Mao said.
(Compiled by Wang Qingxiu)
