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For China, TikTok’s troubles are a skirmish amid bigger fights with the US
Beijing’s response to an array of hostile American measures will be guided by red lines such as Taiwan and longer-term goals.
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Intensifying US-China rivalry is a driver behind the divestment move against TikTok, but the US election season has also injected domestic politics into the picture.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BEIJING - A few days ago, TikTok’s Singaporean chief executive Chew Shou Zi made a plea on the wildly popular video-sharing app after the US Congress passed legislation compelling the Chinese-owned company to sell its stakes
Addressing its American users directly, a grim-faced Mr Chew said that the Bill, swiftly signed into law by President Joe Biden on April 24, “will take TikTok away from you and 170 million Americans who find community and connection on our platform”. Describing it dramatically as “a ban on you and your voice”, he vowed to battle it out with the US authorities in court.
