Chinese MFA Responds to Tesla Ban Reports, Says Foreign Companies ‘Must Comply With the Laws’

The reports of the Tesla ban in China came amid the meeting of top Chinese and US diplomats in Alaska, after which the US State Department said that the parties had “serious discussions,” while China’s top diplomat said that “many major differences” remained.

China says it’s striving to create a better environment for foreign businesses and is actively welcoming them as long comply with its laws and regulations, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNN in response to questions about the alleged Tesla vehicle ban in the country’s military areas.

Previously, several media outlets reported that Tesla vehicles were banned from China’s military facilities due to security concerns over the hardware – notably cameras – installed on those cars and SUVs. Fear were expressed that information that Beijing could not control may have been recorded and sent back to Tesla via the cars. 

Tesla chief multi-billionaire Elon Musk compared his car company’s reported trouble in China on Saturday to Chinese app TikTok’s trouble in the US over national security concerns. 

Musk also said during a televised address at a prominent Chinese forum that Tesla would be shut down in China, or anywhere else for this matter, if the company engaged in spying activities.

Tesla is a major player in China, the biggest market for electric vehicles in the world.

TikTok Trouble in the US

TikTok, the popular video-sharing app owned by China’s ByteDance, had trouble in the United States during the Trump administration, with the ex-POTUS waging a trade war against China.

Back then the US targeted ByteDance and WeChat’s owner Tencent as well as dozens of other Chinese tech companies including big brands like Huawei, ZTE, SMIC, and Xiaomi over alleged national security concerns. Some of them were designated by the US as national security risks.

Washington alleged that the private data of Americans was being shared without permission with the ruling Chinese Communist Party the app. US executives at TikTok and ByteDance have repeatedly denied the claims. 

Under the Biden administration, the matter is still being reviewed and the app is not yet banned.

Sourse: sputniknews.com