Trump’s WeChat ban brings cold war with China into a billion homes

With the stroke of a pen, Donald Trump made his strategic fight with China hit home for potentially billions of people — generating confusion, panic and fear around the globe.

The US president’s move to ban the Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat in just over six weeks from now sent shockwaves through the tech industry and the many American businesses who rely on the apps to sell goods in China.

The decision also spurred alarm on Chinese social media, with WeChat users in the US posting contact information so friends and family could reach them if the app disappeared. An online forum popular with stock investors asked users if they would give up their iPhones or WeChat if Apple Inc. eliminated the app from its store: They voted to ditch their phones by a margin of 20 to one.