Following the TikTok CEO’s testimony before a U.S. congressional committee Thursday, China’s Foreign Ministry said the government “has never asked and will never ask any company or individual to collect or provide data, information or intelligence located in other countries through means that are in violation of local laws.”  (The Wall Street Journal)

Talking point: Shou Zi Chew’s testimony came as the Biden administration seeks to force Beijing-based ByteDance to divest its subsidiary TikTok over concerns the Chinese government could use the short-video app to influence American thinking and violate users’ privacy. Beijing said Thursday it opposes a forced sale of TikTok, in which case Washington may ban the app instead. The remarks seemed to backfire against Chew, who argued the Chinese government had no control or influence over the app. During the tense hearing, lawmakers were criticized—particularly from TikTok users themselves—for fear-mongering and mocked for their limited tech knowledge. The app, which has about 150 million American users, has become a target in broader geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China over trade and technology.