According to reports from American media, three Congressional staffers have confirmed that the Chinese Embassy lobbied and attempted to interfere in U.S. legislation regarding TikTok during closed-door meetings. Ironically, Chinese diplomats emphasized that TikTok is a Chinese company, while TikTok itself works hard to avoid being labeled as Chinese.
This explosive revelation may raise serious concerns about Chinese interference in American domestic affairs, and it is unlikely to deter Congress from pushing forward with legislation to force the sale of TikTok.
Although TikTok is headquartered in Singapore, its parent company is based in Beijing under ByteDance. Despite TikTok repeatedly denying any ties to the Chinese government and seeking to distance itself from its Chinese origins, the uncertain fate of the legislation to force the sale of TikTok in the U.S. Senate has prompted the Chinese Embassy to try to assert influence by intervening in TikTok’s future in the United States.
Politico reported on Wednesday that two Congressional staffers were invited to outreach events by the Chinese Embassy, where TikTok was not initially mentioned, but Chinese officials brought up TikTok on two occasions during closed-door meetings. Both Congressional staffers—one working in the House of Representatives and the other in the Senate—requested anonymity.
The Chinese Embassy’s activities took place after the overwhelming passage of the “Protecting American From Foreign App Control Act” in the House in March, which would compel ByteDance to sell TikTok.
A third Congressional staffer, a Democratic Senate aide, also confirmed that during a scheduled meeting over phone communication, a Chinese Embassy official expressed the Ambassador’s interest in discussing the House’s TikTok legislation among other issues.
The staffers revealed that the Chinese Embassy downplayed national security concerns regarding TikTok at both meetings and tried to link the app’s retention to U.S. interests. In one meeting, the Chinese Embassy argued that a ban on TikTok would harm American investors who hold stakes in ByteDance. At another meeting, the Chinese Embassy emphasized that not all members of ByteDance’s board are Chinese citizens.
While TikTok openly strives to distance itself from its parent company and founder’s backgrounds, the Chinese Embassy attempted to reaffirm that the company is Chinese-owned.
In contrast to ByteDance, TikTok’s headquarters are in Singapore. According to one House staffer, the Chinese Embassy argued at one meeting that Congressional legislation would equate to the forced transfer of data from a Chinese company. Another Senate staffer said the Chinese Embassy believed this action was unfair to Chinese companies, as the U.S. would not treat companies of other nationalities in the same manner.
In a statement, TikTok said they were unaware of the Chinese Embassy’s TikTok-themed meetings, and commenting on anonymous sources of which they have no knowledge would be absurd.
A TikTok spokesperson criticized Politico for publishing this report.
However, the Chinese Embassy admitted to holding these meetings. Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu stated in a release, “The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. is trying to clarify the truth about the TikTok issue to people from all walks of life in the United States.”
“This is not lobbying for a particular company,” the spokesperson added, “but about whether all Chinese companies can be treated fairly.”
The statement went on to reiterate some points raised at the meetings, including countering national security concerns and emphasizing international investment in ByteDance.
The TikTok legislation is at a standstill in the Senate. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) has been negotiating the wording of the bill with other offices as part of efforts to solidify its legal standing.
It is anticipated that the legislation to force the sale of TikTok will be included in a series of bills regarding foreign aid and foreign adversaries to be released by House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday.
责任编辑：林妍#