“News Five in a Row: US Targeting TikTok for Political Cleansing?”

Hello everyone, welcome to News Five, today’s co-hosts are Tang Hao, Qin Peng, Jin Shi, Fu Yao, and myself (Qin Yue). Our diverse perspectives collide to bring you into the rich world of news. Feel free to subscribe and like our independent channel.

Today’s focus: “Great Food View” Back to the Great Famine!? The CCP’s lies exposed! Food insecurity; 3 major bombs in the Chinese economy; the United States targets to eliminate the “party nature” of TikTok, 3 reasons why the CCP fears banning TikTok.

In recent days, torrential rains have battered the mainland, causing damage in areas like Qingyuan and Zhaoqing in Guangdong. On April 23, the Guangdong fire department released a so-called “heartwarming” video showing rescue personnel from Zhaoqing fire brigade evacuating “foreign friends trapped in a hotel” to a highway. However, as the water level in the video appeared very shallow, it sparked mockery and skepticism among netizens. Users commented: “Can’t they even swim in that water? If they waited a bit longer, the water would have dried up.”

Questions:

Q1, Fu Yao, who said the film industry in China is not advanced with such staged techniques?

Q2, Jin Shi, what if the foreign friends burst into laughter?

It’s fine if they laugh, just redo the scene. I think their main concern is what if the rubber boat gets stuck.

Q3, Qin Peng, will the Guangdong fire department face punishment for releasing such a video?

Unlikely. As some users pointed out, one of them had been involved in similar rescue operations. This is a common practice of the CCP to showcase care for the people during major disasters, even if it involves some theatrics. This is part of their propaganda tactics, emphasizing socialism’s superiority. The CCP doesn’t care about the absurdity, similar to Xi Jinping publicizing the feat of carrying “200 catties of wheat for 10 miles without changing shoulders.” They don’t care if people question how someone could be stranded for days in water below knee level.

On the other hand, such mocking remarks won’t reach the higher levels of the CCP. Even if they do, there wouldn’t be consequences now. In the past, before Xi Jinping’s rule, such behavior might have been punished. However, after incidents like the Iron Chain Lady, it’s observed that if the wrongdoing impacts the party’s legitimacy significantly, they intervene to protect themselves. This reflects a nonchalant attitude within the CCP, akin to the late Qing dynasty’s state: Zhang Zhidong urged the Prince to quell the people’s anger; the Prince replied, “Not afraid! We have the military!”

Tang Hao, over to you for the latest updates.

Thank you for the analysis. Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive legislative package worth $95 billion, including provisions to strip or ban TikTok. More details on this will be covered later.

Last Saturday (April 20), the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $95 billion foreign aid package, which President Biden has signed into law today. This legislation includes provisions for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to divest within nine months to a year. Failure to comply will result in TikTok being banned in the U.S. Senate leaders from both parties have emphasized the importance of this foreign aid package for the U.S. and the free world. TikTok responded unhappily to the decision.

Previously, TikTok had already launched a political offensive in the U.S., emphasizing issues related to elections and freedom of speech. The platform urged its myriad users to “stop the TikTok ban.” With around 170 million users, mostly young individuals crucial to both political parties in the U.S. and potentially Biden’s re-election, this pressure tactic directly targets officials.

Questions:

Q1 for debate: Does the U.S. crackdown on TikTok impact freedom of speech, given America’s emphasis on this value?

Q2, do you truly believe ByteDance won’t eventually be required by the CCP to hand over foreign users’ data, despite TikTok’s prior assurances to the contrary?

Q3, Qin Peng, why do you think the CCP can block platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube citing national security but doesn’t allow the U.S. to ban TikTok on the same grounds?

Answer: 1) Firstly, the CCP is only tough against the weak. TikTok is banned in China. After the 2020 China-India conflict, India swiftly banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat. In March 2022, the Russian President signed a new law punishing those spreading false information about the Russian armed forces, with offenders facing up to 15 years in prison. TikTok promptly ceased live broadcasts and new content uploads in Russia. They are obedient there, but they bully the U.S. because it’s a country governed by the rule of law.

Additionally, the ban of Toutiao, another app under ByteDance, by the CCP resulted in instant devaluation, yet ByteDance did not protest.

2) ByteDance’s resistance stems from covert CCP directives: on one hand, the CCP creates laws barring the sale of algorithm and other key technologies, providing legal cover, while on the other hand, CCP officials are involved in every negotiation and major move by ByteDance. This leads to comical situations, where TikTok’s founders desperately argue they aren’t a Chinese company, while CCP officials and diplomats insist the U.S. can’t act against this Chinese company.

3) The reason the CCP resists banning TikTok is that the platform serves the CCP’s interests. Behind the algorithm lies manipulation – the CCP fears exposure, particularly concerning its ambitions: data collection, indoctrination, election manipulation, and expansion.

Back to you, Fu Yao, for insights into TikTok’s advocacy against the ban and the underlying intricacies.

The CCP’s mouthpiece, People’s Daily, recently featured Xi Jinping advocating for a “great food perspective” during his visit to Guangdong. He mentioned, “Addressing the food problem by seeking food both from the land and the sea. Are we preparing for food wars, or is domestic food supply inadequate?” What is certain is that the catering industry in China is struggling. The latest data from the CCP’s statistics bureau shows that nearly 460,000 restaurants deregistered or ceased operations in the first quarter of this year, a 230% increase from the same period last year, with 180,000 restaurants closing in March alone. As businesses find it hard to survive, the job market also faces hardship. On April 22, the Guangzhou Civil Affairs Bureau revealed plans to hire personnel, including two bachelor’s degree holders and a master’s in philosophy, for crematorium work.

Q1, Qin Peng, what does “great food perspective” mean as advocated by Xi Jinping in People’s Daily? Does it imply difficulties in China’s food supply?

Q2, Tang Hao, are the level of education and jobs equivalent? What economic phenomenon does this reflect?