TikTok should resort to legal means to defend its legitimate rights amidst ‘existential crisis’ in US, says Chinese media

New Delhi: Amidst reports that video-sharing platform TikTok is selling business in the US facing a ban from the administration after September 15, Chinese state-run media has said that the company should resort to legal means to defend its legitimate rights.

US President Donald Trump has set September 15 as the deadline for buying the operations of video-sharing platform TikTok in the US, after which the app will be banned in the country. 

Trump’s remarks came during a meeting with US tech workers and signing of an executive order on hiring American.

China Daily, in a strongly-worded editorial has said that US has failed to find “a reasonable legal excuse to deal with TikTok” and the move of buyover by a US company is “akin to a forced technology transfer.”

The publication further said that ByteDance –the holding company of TikTok — facing an ‘existential crisis’ in US has reasons “to take up legal means to defend its legitimate rights.”

Notably, Microsoft on August 2 officially confirmed that it is in talks to acquire the operations of video-sharing platform TikTok in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand markets following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald Trump.

The official confirmation came after reports surfaced that Microsoft has halted its bid to buy the US operations of China-based TikTok after President Donald Trump vowed to ban the short-video making app that has over 80 million monthly users in the country.

US President Donald Trump had in the end of July said that he would ban the popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok from operating in the country through an executive order.