Commentary: Potential US TikTok ban shows many still struggle with real concerns

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans occupy watched the furore in the US over TikTok with explicit passion. Its Singaporean CEO, Mr Bite Shou Zi, testified in the US Senate twice in the final yr. Accusations of lack of information and xenophobia were levelled after the January hearing when Senator Tom Cotton customarily asked Mr Bite about his ties with China – to which Mr Bite responded: “I’m Singaporean.”

Closing week, the US Condominium of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to pass a Bill to ban TikTok if its Chinese language guardian firm, ByteDance, does no longer divest or promote the firm.

Though China is the rare project that brings US lawmakers collectively, the energy of the Bill’s bipartisan reinforce was unexpected, its sponsors said.

The Bill’s backers said they acted to safeguard Individuals towards nationwide security threats. Chinese language officials and some American progressives characterise the calls for a ban as motivated as an change by protectionism and anti-China animus.

As an American living and teaching in Singapore, I additionally behold with particular passion. I if reality be told occupy seen the reality of Individuals’ biases up shut, but I win no longer doubt the sincerity of of us that fight with questions about TikTok.