US Ambassador During the Week: "China Opposing TikTok Ban Law Is Ironic"

Nicholas Burns, the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, described China's backlash against the 'TikTok Ban Bill' as "ironic." Regarding the Biden administration's semiconductor export control policy toward China, he reaffirmed a tough stance, stating, "We will not compromise on national security nor negotiate."

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

In an interview with Bloomberg TV released on the 14th (local time), Ambassador Burns said, "I find it very ironic that Chinese government officials criticize the U.S. using the X (formerly Twitter) platform," adding, "They do not allow their citizens to use X, Instagram, Facebook, or access Google."

He emphasized the Biden administration's approach to the technological hegemony competition, stating, "Whether it is commercial technology like TikTok or technology that can be converted into military use, the technology sector is at the core of the competition between the U.S. and China in many respects." Concerns have long been raised in the U.S. that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, being a Chinese firm, could lead to American user data being accessed by the Chinese Communist Party.

Ambassador Burns continued, "I think the White House asked the right questions this week: 'Do you want TikTok to be owned by an American company or a Chinese company?' and 'Do you want an American company to have access to millions of Americans' data, or a Chinese company?' The answers to these two questions are clear when it comes to TikTok."

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill the day before that bans the distribution, maintenance, and updates of Chinese video platforms like TikTok within the U.S. If this bill passes the Senate following the House, ByteDance will be required to sell TikTok's U.S. operations within six months. Failure to do so will result in TikTok being removed from app stores such as Google and Apple.

China immediately protested. Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a briefing on the 14th, "It is neither fair nor just to arbitrarily suppress outstanding companies from other countries under the pretext of 'national security.'" The released remarks by Ambassador Burns are seen as reaffirming the Biden administration's firm stance on technological hegemony. Steve Mnuchin, former Treasury Secretary under the Trump administration, appeared on CNBC the same day, saying, "TikTok should be sold," and announced plans to recruit investors to acquire TikTok.

This interview drew attention as it was released just one week after Wang Yi, Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office of the Chinese Communist Party and Foreign Minister, publicly criticized the Biden administration for not honoring the commitments made at the U.S.-China summit last November. Ambassador Burns responded, "We are keeping our promises." He elaborated, "The San Francisco (summit) could not resolve all issues between the two governments regarding military, technology, and human rights," adding, "There are deep differences with China, and we will continue to discuss them." Furthermore, regarding the Biden administration's semiconductor export control policy toward China, he emphasized it as a necessary measure, stating, "We will not compromise on national security nor negotiate."

Ambassador Burns also diagnosed that the current environment in China discourages U.S. companies from investing. He cited China's revised Anti-Espionage Law last year and raids on U.S. companies, expressing concern: "Some senior Chinese officials say they welcome private sector investment and that 'your investments will be protected,' but companies hear other messages as well." He added, "Many companies do not know the direction, policies, guidelines, or variables of the Chinese economy. Even if they decide on large-scale investments, they are not sure if it is a rational decision." He noted, "Because it is such a large and important market, few companies leave, but many have a Plan B." Regarding Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong's version of the National Security Law, he mentioned having "serious concerns."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.