China has protested Australia’s ban on TikTok from government phones and devices, describing the move as an “abuse of state power”.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning was speaking after Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said yesterday the ban of the controversial app would begin “as soon as practicable”.
“We noted the reports and have made solemn démarches to the Australian side,” Mao said last night at a media conference in Beijing.
“China always believes that digital security should not be used as a tool to suppress foreign companies in an overstretch of the concept of national security and abuse of state power.
“We urge Australia to earnestly observe the rules of market economy and the principle of fair competition, and provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies.”
Dreyfus said the government was also considering the recommendations made in the Review into Foreign Interference Through Social Media Applications.
Australia will now follow other nations including the US, Canada, UK, and New Zealand in banning the use of the app on government phones amid fears of spying from China.
Ministers are believed to be using burner phones to use the popular app, which has sparked fears that data could be accessed by Chinese officials.
But TikTok Australia and New Zealand general manager Lee Hunter earlier said he would be “extremely disappointed” by the decision, claiming it would be “driven by politics, not by fact”.
“Again, we stress that there is no evidence to suggest that TikTok is in any way a security risk to Australians and should not be treated differently to other social media platforms.
“Our millions of Australian users deserve a government which makes decisions based upon facts and who treats all businesses fairly, regardless of country of origin.”
Mao was also asked about reports that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had received a formal invitation from the Chinese government to visit Beijing.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, which is owned by Chinese online retail giant Alibaba, yesterday reported an “in principle” invitation had been extended to the Australian leader and that he could make the trip in September or October.
“I have nothing to share regarding your specific question. The healthy and stable development of China-Australia relations serves the common interests of both countries and the peoples of the two countries,” Mao said.
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