On April 24, local time, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a package of foreign aid bills worth $95 billion, which also involves forcing ByteDance to divest its app TikTok's U.S. business. In the relevant terms, ByteDance is given a deadline of about nine months to divest its U.S. operations, or face a national ban in the United States. In addition, he could exercise a 90-day extension if Biden determines that progress has been made on the sale.
As TikTok's role on the international political chessboard has become more prominent, the United States' tough stance on it has attracted widespread attention. However, we might as well look at this incident from another angle, putting aside the traditional focus of controversy and exploring the underlying causes.
Why is a small app so fearful in the United States? This is not just a concern about TikTok itself, but more of an uncertainty about new threats. In the current digital era, the way and channels of information dissemination have undergone earth-shaking changes, and TikTok, as a popular social platform around the world, has an influence and communication power that cannot be underestimated. However, much of what makes the United States so fearful is because its traditional mindset collides with this emerging power.
With regard to the traditional concept of national security, the United States has always pursued the concept of "hard power first", that is, to safeguard national interests and status through military force and economic sanctions. However, with the advent of the information age, the concept of soft power has become increasingly important. As a manifestation of soft power, TikTok is having a potential impact on international discourse through cultural output and information dissemination. The rise of this new type of power is undoubtedly a challenge and threat to the United States, which is accustomed to its traditional hegemonic position.
In addition to this, concerns about TikTok in the United States stem from concerns about its data security and privacy protection. With the acceleration of informatization, personal data has become a resource of strategic value. And as a China-based company, TikTok's approach to data collection and management has naturally raised alarm in the United States. Although TikTok has repeatedly emphasized its efforts and investment in protecting user data, the U.S. government still has doubts about it, which is a big reason why the U.S. has taken a tough stance on TikTok.
However, as some voices have pointed out, "to talk about this is to be fooled, to make cards out of nothing". The U.S. crackdown on TikTok is based more on an ideological bias and fear of competitors than on objective security considerations. In the context of globalization, every country should have the right to compete on an equal footing and not impose its own ideology on others. As China's Ministry of Commerce and Foreign Affairs have said, the United States should respect the principle of fair competition and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for companies from all over the world to invest and operate in the United States. Only in this way can we truly achieve win-win results and common development for the international community.
Against this backdrop, the response of China's Ministry of Commerce and Foreign Affairs is particularly important. China is not a weak country, and any attempt to suppress Chinese companies will be met with resolute pushback. China has the ability and will to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, and any attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs with power politics is futile. It is believed that through the communication and efforts of both parties, a mutually acceptable solution can finally be found to achieve common development and prosperity.
To sum up, the reason why the United States is so afraid of a small APP is not only because of concerns about TikTok itself, but also because of the uncertainty of new threats and the competitive landscape. In the current context of globalization, all countries should abandon ideological prejudices, respect each other, compete on an equal footing, and jointly promote the progress and development of the international community.