By Liu Zhiqin
The US President Donald Trump recently announced his intention to ban the Chinese short-video platform TikTok in the US. He was about to give another “signature show” to the world, by signing an order to ban the app, and again reveling in condescending sentiment.
The news has been making headlines across the world, but what’s lurking behind his hatred of TikTok? The reasons are nothing new: they’re all about his cliché concerns over national security. Trump accuses TikTok of posing a “national security” threat to the US, but without any proof.
The US has even given up finding a valid reason to crack down on Chinese firms, not to mention offering scientific or legal approaches to back its framing of the firms. A question has been raised for the whole world about who would dare undermine the US’ national security and who has the capacity to challenge the US’ national security?
After years of tirelessly banging the drum of the threat to “national security,” it remains a tedious mystery which no longer triggers an alert, but makes people realize that the accusation of national security threat is a trash bin that contains every topic that is used to cover mistakes and problems of the US.
The real threat to US national security is the American government itself. The Trump administration has implemented a series of wrong policies. The inappropriate remarks of certain US politicians have caused direct harm to US’ national security.
Being obsessed of dropping out of international organizations, the Trump administration has created an unprecedented isolating scenario for the US. Its constant intervention in other countries’ domestic affairs, even its allies, has driven alienation between the US and other countries. And the US’ unreasonable crackdown on foreign tech firms has cast a shadow on its business environment. Under the Trump’s “American first” principle, the US has been losing friends.
Other than the US government, no country or company has the capacity to fulfill this tough task. It is the US that is challenging its own values, and it is the illusion and political paranoia of certain politicians that make the current administration the largest threat to the US’ national security.
Certain US politicians have been striving to smear China in order to suppress the development of China. The so-called strongest free-market economy has lost its manners in dealing with one Chinese app.
Without any sense of shame, the US has been practicing its hegemony over foreign companies, by robbing or smearing them.
The US is trying to dismember TikTok in a bid to realize its complete monopoly of video sharing apps and to ultimately serve American politics. The moves will backfire and ruin the US’ reputation.
Both the Chinese 5G frontrunner Huawei and the social media TikTok could not threaten US’ national security. They would actually enhance the cyber security of the US. The security of the firms’ technology has been verified by multiple advanced tech firms, and have been proven to be even more secure than technology offered by US’ companies.
By cracking down on TikTok, the US has stripped hundreds of millions younger users’ right to choose and enjoy an entertaining platform and a way to communicate freely. As the main consumers of the US new technology in the future, the current younger generation could shape the development path of future tech applications and products of the US. But certain US politicians are leading it on an unknown path by risking younger generation’s right to choose and explore.
US politicians know that the country’s national security depends on policies of the government, as well as the notions and deeds of certain politicians. However, they need to pretend otherwise so as to make excuses for their malfeasances and manipulation of global public opinion.
–The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
