Trump administration reassures U.S. firms on using WeChat in China

The Trump administration is privately seeking to reassure U.S. companies, including Apple Inc., that they can still do business with the WeChat messaging app in China, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing several people familiar with the matter.

U.S. President Donald Trump listens to a reporter's question as he meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in Washington.[File Photo: AP/Patrick Semansky]

This report came two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring transactions with TikTok's parent company ByteDance and also Tencent, owner of WeChat, starting in 45 days.

China's Foreign Ministry said that it firmly opposes the U.S. ban on both companies, calling the U.S. move "blatant hegemonic acts," and vowed to defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses.