The direction of the TikTok divestiture bill is still unclear
August 27, 2024 10:36 Source: "Chinese Social Sciences Journal" Issue 2964, August 27, 2024 Author: Bai Le

  

 

   The U.S. Department of Justice cited “concerns that the TikTok algorithm may be used to influence the U.S. election” in a court document in July,Defending the international version of TikTok being forced to sell its US business。In fact,March this year,The U.S. House of Representatives passed a controversial “TikTok divestment bill”。The full name of the bill is the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act",Require Chinese technology company ByteDance to divest control of its overseas short video application TikTok,Limited to 165 days,Later extended to 270 days。Otherwise,TikTok will be banned from US mobile app stores and web hosting platforms,That is, "If you don't sell it, ban it"。This bill is full of protectionism,Considered to be a violation of China’s data sovereignty,Violates the principles of fair competition and non-discrimination of the World Trade Organization。The United States restricts TikTok’s operation and development in the United States in the name of “maintaining national security”,What is the background?、Reasons and intentions?How does this bill reflect the solidification of interests in the current domestic and foreign affairs of the United States?Facing the containment measures of Western powers,What difficulties and choices do Chinese private enterprises face in their overseas survival??Revolving around the above issues,Our reporter recently interviewed the deputy director of the Institute for Studying Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the Renmin University of China、Wang Yiwei, EU Jean Monnet Chair Professor and Josef Mahoney, American Professor of School of Politics and International Relations, East China Normal University。

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"China Social Sciences News": TikTok has a high market share in the US market,Won the support of consumers。However,The United States has introduced the "TikTok Stripping Act" to ban it。Can you please introduce the general background of this bill,And talk about why the bet365 Play online games United States introduced this bill。

Mahoney: Today,China has achieved rapid development in the field of science and technology, especially in digital technology innovation。TikTok as a representative of Chinese technology companies,Very popular among today’s American consumers, especially young people。In recent years,The number of TikTok users in the United States is growing rapidly。According to data service agency Apptopia statistics,The average usage time of TikTok in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2023 is 97 minutes,More than YouTube and Instagram。Also,Related data display,January 2018,TikTok has 11.26 million monthly active users (MAU) in the United States,Grown to 1 in January 2024.700 million,That is, more than half of Americans open TikTok at least once a month。

 TikTok is known for its rich and diverse content、Unique functions and huge user base,Shows outstanding potential in the US market,Leading a trend of cultural creativity。With high download volume and high market share,TikTok surpasses many American technology companies,Become "Meta"、Google’s powerful competitor。It can be said,TikTok is using its outstanding influence,Participating in shaping the new pattern of the US social media market。

Wang Yiwei: All the time,Americans are very obsessed with technological innovation。Although TikTok is a private enterprise,But its breakthroughs in technological innovation make the United States feel that it cannot be underestimated。What the United States may not have thought of,China in artificial intelligence、Digital technology and other fields have achieved significant curve transcendence。In fact,Back in 2020,The then President of the United States, Trump, issued two executive orders to ban TikTok in the name of "TikTok's impact on the domestic digital industry in the United States",U.S. companies are prohibited from transactions with ByteDance and its subsidiaries。Because TikTok has thousands of “fans” in the United States,Trump’s executive order also caused him to lose a large number of voters in the subsequent US elections to some extent。

Therefore,April this year,The Biden administration has learned the “lessons” from former President Trump,Not simply through a straightforward form bet365 best casino games such as an executive order,Instead, TikTok is banned in the relatively hidden form of a bill。The Biden administration’s consideration is,Cannot lose young voters,Another attempt to suppress TikTok in the name of “maintaining national security”。In the United States,Some people label TikTok,Regard it as a "scourge" in the digital age。Any product with Chinese color,will be mistakenly believed to influence the US election,Or be accused of interfering in the domestic and foreign affairs of the United States。

  The United States is trying to reviveNew initiatives for technology leadership

"Chinese Social Sciences Journal": Many scholars believe that,This bill is an attempt by the United States to revive、New initiatives to enhance its leadership in global technology,Reflects its uneasiness about its declining global hegemony。What do you think about this?

Wang Yiwei: The “TikTok divestment bill” actually reflects the unwillingness of the United States in the era of digital civilization。History,The United States inherited European hegemony in the era of industrial and commercial civilization,later evolved into the U.S. dollar、U.S. military and digital supremacy。Today,China as a non-Western civilization,Becoming a master not only in the field of industrial civilization,Becoming a leading country in the field of digital civilization。China’s vigorous development momentum in the field of digitalization,Identified as a threat to the United States’ former global hegemony。Therefore,Fundamentally speaking,The suppression of TikTok is due to US politicians’ concerns about the rise of China,A panic that China is now catching up or even overtaking the United States in the field of new technologies and opening up new tracks and new models。

Today’s United States deeply feels that it cannot control its allies、Feeling powerless in being unable to control domestic public opinion。It will be difficult for the United States to be the same as it was in the past,Continue to promote cliques or camp confrontations by monopolizing traditional intelligence or surveillance technology。Whether it is forming a new military alliance system to fight globalization,Let’s still suppress Huawei、Ban TikTok and other measures,All are manifestations of its attempt to regain its leadership in the global technology field。

bet365 live casino games Mahoney: Indeed,For the sake of maintaining global hegemony,Since 2020,TikTok’s fate in the United States has always been shrouded in uncertainty。TikTok’s development relies heavily on artificial intelligence、Big data and other technological revolutions,This is considered to be the core of the current increasingly fierce competition between great powers。As an excellent business card of China’s digital technology,TikTok has become the target of attacks by advocates of the US technology “decoupling” policy。The Biden administration biasedly believes that TikTok undermines market fairness。Therefore,Some American politicians have accused TikTok of containing provocative content without any reason,And use this as an excuse to ban。

 Reflecting the "face of all living beings" in American society

"China Social Sciences News": How to view the differences between different groups in the United States on the "TikTok divestiture bill"?

Wang Yiwei: The introduction of the “TikTok divestiture bill”,In fact, it is in the context of the shrinkage of the American middle class,Different domestic capitals、The product of internal conflicts between different classes,Also different interest groups、The product of compromise between those who benefit from globalization and those who lose interests。Elections in American history,Includes 2024 US presidential election,all fully embody industrial capital、Financial capital、The contradictory nature of various capital types such as industrial capital,This is currently interpreted as a battle between two capital forces。The former supports the Democratic Party,Considered to support globalization trends and trends、Reformers who want to realize the free flow of digital information across borders;The latter supports the Republican Party,Considered to wish to achieve capital、Conservatives who want industries to return and jobs to the United States。

It should be said,The "TikTok divestment bill" reflects a kind of "all living beings" in American society。TikTok helps American young people learn more about China’s true face and development。Today,Many young Americans are disappointed with the future,Dissatisfied with the distribution of benefits such as employment opportunities,Pessimistic about the future of the country。In this context,TikTok’bet365 Play online games s entertainment brings joy to life to young Americans,But this bill seeks to eliminate these fun。

When public opinion is controlled by politics and interest groups,Opposition from young people or people at the bottom will appear,A new type of resistance from the bottom people emerged,This will have a profound negative impact on the domestic and foreign affairs of the United States。The current United States is facing an increasingly inconsistent situation—new immigrants and old immigrants、Emerging industries and traditional industries、Different social classes and social groups,Have different views on American politics。In the United States,Politics is highly fragmented、Faction antagonism and fragmentation are becoming more serious,Traditional values ​​and ideologies are unsustainable。It is at a time when domestic differences in the United States continue to grow,We saw the introduction of the “TikTok Divestment Bill”。

  Essentially, it is a “snatching and plundering” of American capital

《China Social Sciences News》: As the 2024 US election approaches,For the direction of the “TikTok divestment bill”,What do you think??

Mahoney: Regarding the changing trends of the “TikTok divestment bill” in the future,It is relatively certain that,TikTok will most likely not be sold,Will not be divested from ByteDance。current,Some high-level interaction activities between China and the United States are ongoing,This may improve Sino-US science and technology relations to a certain extent,And have a positive impact on the final outcome of the "TikTok Divestment Bill"。Biden has announced his withdrawal from the 2024 US election,The results of the general election to be held in November are still unknown,There is great uncertainty about who will be elected to the White House next year。Therefore,The direction of the “TikTok Divestment Bill” still faces many uncertainties。

Wang Yiwei: Although the United States said it would ban TikTok,But it’s unlikely to actually disable it。The "TikTok Divestment Act" is essentially a means of "exploiting" by American capital,More of a gesture of response。If completely disabled,It will definitely cause dissatisfaction among the American grassroots and a large number of young people,The consequence will be that the new administration may repeat the mistakes of the Trump administration。bet365 live casino games Therefore,The Biden administration is more likely to use such a banner,In the name of “national security” and “free flow of data and information”,Find ways to internalize TikTok into a short video application platform that the United States can manage and control,Localize it to fit American politics、Social and ecological traditions,And make it fit with the operating model of American enterprises。This consideration accelerated the passage of the “TikTok Divestment Bill” in the United States。

  Cannot weaken the strength of Chinese private enterprises

"China Social Sciences Journal": Today,A number of private technology companies in China have gone abroad,Build a reputation overseas,Its international products are also quite popular。Some scholars pointed out,No matter what containment measures some Western powers take,Cannot fundamentally weaken the strength of Chinese private enterprises。Do you two agree with this?

Wang Yiwei: Today,The private economy has become an integral part of the national economic system,To promote technological innovation、Increase employment opportunities、Making indelible contributions to promoting economic growth。But it is undeniable,In the context of the current global industrial and supply chains facing the risk of disruption,Chinese private enterprises are indeed facing complex and severe external challenges。In the future, Chinese private enterprises still need to further explore new governance models and global collaboration methods,Trading with digital services、Intellectual Property、Issues related to emerging intelligence,will also be further incorporated into the framework of Chinese private enterprise operations。

Mahoney: Now,Many Chinese private companies have surpassed American companies in global competition。From research and development of new products with global competitiveness,To provide technical solutions,And then provide employment opportunities for the general public,The private economy plays an indispensable role in China’s economic development。In the future,This role will become increasingly prominent。The policy of containing China pursued by the United States has brought many challenges to Chinese private enterprises around the world,As seen in one of the most sensitive areas - advanced chip production。Today’s China Bet365 app download is working hard to improve its production capacity,Proposed new economic concepts such as new qualitative productivity,To address these challenges。

I am confident that China can overcome such adverse factors in the international environment、Confident in the ability to resolve external risks。Chinese private enterprises certainly face multiple resistances from Western powers,For example,Huawei、TikTok、BYD and other well-known private enterprise brands have suffered a series of slanders。But they did not recover after a fall,Instead, we continue to gain a foothold by improving our self-reliance,Continue to make strong contributions to China’s economic development and national rejuvenation。

Editor: Cui Bohan
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