China hinted on Monday that it might respond after President Joe Biden signed a law to strengthen Taiwan’s defense and requires the Chinese owner of TikTok to sell the platform. Then, on Wednesday, Biden signed a legal package related to military aid, mostly intended for Ukraine and Israel. He also signed a separate bill that would ban TikTok in the US within a year if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, does not sell it.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian, stated in Beijing that the US should not implement the “negative” parts of the law related to China. He warned that if the US persists, China will take decisive steps to protect its security and development interests, without specifying what those steps would be. Additionally, the Taiwanese government welcomed the new American law, as they believe it will help maintain security in the region.