WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) - The U.S Commerce Department said Monday it was rescinding a list of prohibited transactions with TikTok and WeChat tha

U.S. Commerce Department rescinds TikTok, WeChat prohibited transactions list

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2021-06-22 09:30:06

WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) - The U.S Commerce Department said Monday it was rescinding a list of prohibited transactions with TikTok and WeChat that were issued in September as the Trump administration sought to block new U.S. downloads of both Chinese-owned apps.

The withdrawals came after President Joe Biden this month withdrew a series of Trump-era executive orders that sought to ban new downloads of Tencent-owned WeChat (0700.HK) and TikTok, and ordered a Commerce Department review of security concerns posed by those apps and others.

During Donald Trump's presidency, the Commerce Department had also sought to ban other transactions that would have effectively banned WeChat's use in the United States and later sought similar restrictions that would have barred TikTok's use.

"China has been urging the U.S. side to respect market economy principles and international trade rules, to immediately stop stretching the concept of national security and stop wantonly abusing state power to suppress China's tech companies," spokesman Zhai Lijian said on Tuesday in Beijing.