The know-how rivalry between the U.S. and China resurfaced after the previous tried to ban the social media platform TikTok, owned by the Chinese agency ByteDance, on nationwide safety grounds.
The U.S. sees the platform as a menace resulting from safety considerations and the corporate’s alleged ties to the Chinese authorities.
U.S. President Joe Biden has mentioned he would signal the invoice if Congress determined to dam entry to TikTok, and the House of Representatives handed it, paving the way in which for a nationwide ban on TikTok as a result of it “poses a national security problem.”
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wanbin accused the U.S. of exploiting the nationwide safety difficulty to make use of state energy to suppress TikTok, regardless of the dearth of proof that its nationwide safety was threatened.
The TikTok case has proven as soon as once more that the U.S. stresses guidelines and order that profit solely Washington, he added.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew mentioned in a video assertion that the corporate will do every thing attainable to guard the app, claiming that banning it will jeopardize the roles of 300,000 Americans.
‘U.S. SEES TIKTOK AS CYBERSECURITY ISSUE, MEANS TO INTERFERE IN U.S. POLITICS’
Kadir Temiz, a lecturer at Türkiye’s National Intelligence Academy, advised Anadolu that the try to ban TikTok would flip the U.S.-China commerce rivalry right into a extra advanced and confrontational course of involving political and safety points.
“The US government sees TikTok as a cybersecurity issue, and a means of interfering in US politics, especially in data security, citing the platform’s ties to the Chinese government, and consequently, the Chinese Communist Party,” he mentioned.
“The ban is meant to reinforce the public perception that the seemingly innocent economic activities of Chinese brands threaten US security,” he added.
Temiz famous that TikTok differs from different corporations as it’s a extremely influential platform, each economically and politically, with roughly 170 million U.S. customers.
“Preventive measures could have been taken to address TikTok’s data and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. However, TikTok has become the main target, as it gaining strength day by day against its existing American competitors and rising to an effective position in the market,” he mentioned.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE ORDER MAY BE PUSHED TOWARDS PROTECTIONIST STRUCTURE
Temiz emphasised that the TikTok ban could push the present world commerce order towards a extra protectionist construction.
“The ban holds the potential to escalate the ongoing competition in tech, especially in data science, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and chips, with reciprocal sanctions and measures,” he mentioned.
“While some see the decision to ban TikTok as a way to influence American public opinion and capitalize on anti-Chinese sentiment in the run-up to the upcoming elections, it could force other countries to take similar decisions,” he added.
Temiz mentioned China could take steps towards U.S. companies as a attainable response.
“Currently, social media platforms corresponding to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are banned in China. China can not reply in a way akin to the TikTok ban.
“China will, however, argue that technological competition and the US’ unilateral protectionist decisions undermine the international free trade and markets,” he mentioned.
Source: www.anews.com.tr