U.S.'s grilling of TikTok CEO shows its racism and discrimination

Editor's note: Masuda Khatun, a special commentator for CGTN, is an international affairs analyst and freelance columnist. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

We are really worried about the recent wave of racism and hostility directed not just against Chinese people but also against Asian people in the U.S. In a recent congressional hearing on the topic of child online safety, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and executives from other internet companies, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, X's Linda Yaccarino, Snap's co-founder Evan Spiegel and Discord's Jason Citron, were questioned. They were all speaking together but did not face the same shameful questioning.

Over 50 members of Congress questioned Singaporean-born Chew about his alleged connections to the Communist Party of China (CPC). Tom Cotton, a Republican senator from Arkansas, wanted to see his passport as identification after making an impolite targeting inquiry about his so-called CPC affiliations. This is a completely odd and unrelated question regarding child online safety!

Tens of thousands of people saw video clips of the discussion that were shared on social media. The conversation went viral on the internet, and Singaporeans criticized Cotton for what they saw as his alleged prejudice, biases, and ignorance of their nation. However, these are all connected issues that result from pervasive racism. Cotton has been accused by the dominant Asian American caucus in Congress of interrogating TikTok's CEO in a "racist" manner. 

The Washington Post called Cotton's style of inquiry "McCarthyesque," alluding to allegations that were made without taking into account all the available information. Nearly 2,000 people commented on an Instagram video of the discussion, and the majority of the responses was critical of, or made fun of, Cotton for his line of inquiry.

However, world corporations and the world community took the U.S.'s racist mindset very seriously. Racist incidents against Asians, particularly Chinese people, have been reported on a regular basis. These repulsive and pitiful actions are very upsetting. The U.S. again demonstrates how racism has underpinned the country's founding.

Cotton also asserted a false accusation and piece of misinformation that Singapore was being taken over by Chinese spies, emphasizing the high level of CPC influence and penetration in the nation. The inane issue that kept coming up was whether or not Chew had ever belonged to, or been associated with, the CPC. Each time, Chew said that he was from Singapore. The fact that he had to defend his nationality in a Senate hearing before wasn't much better. In March 2023, Chew was questioned for almost five hours on unrelated topics before a separate U.S. hearing.

Cotton's enquiry shows how unprofessional, illogical, and irrelevant questions are connected to the problem of child safety on the internet. These American anti-China hawks are constantly looking for a so-called Sinophobia story. In any case, their goal is to stifle Chinese businesses under the pretext of national security. These irrational claims, made by these anti-China hawks, are also a focus of the U.S. administration.

Because of the social, political, economic, and cultural crises among U.S. elites, there is a pervasive stigma against China and Asians in the U.S., which is reinforced by racist tropes and stereotypes, with Chinese people serving as surrogates for all Asians. The baseless charges leveled by the U.S. persist in encouraging hostility against China.

Despite TikTok's economic success, U.S. lawmakers politicize national security concerning ByteDance because of an unjustified fear of China-related problems. In the U.S., TikTok, run by the Chinese company ByteDance, has more than 150 million subscribers. The U.S.'s persecution of Chinese-owned businesses was evident in its repeated actions. The impolite inquiries posed by U.S. legislators are seen as a xenophobic witch hunt. A perfect storm of technological geopolitical competition is what TikTok is going through right now.

Sadly, there are a lot of dangerous racist Chinese hawks in the U.S., like Cotton, who constantly strive to obstruct the development of constructive connections between China and the U.S. This is an illustrative example. Critics contend that the ignorance, haughtiness, and illogical suspicion of certain senators towards China fuel fear and disturbance, and obstruct the positive evolution of China-U.S. ties.

Chew stated that the company has never shared data with the Chinese government or been asked for it. This is in contrast to U.S. lawmakers who view TikTok with great suspicion due to concerns about data access and potential use by China.

Legislators in the U.S. use the excuse of national security to support biased interrogations and penalties against foreign businesses, which impedes the free flow of technology and impedes technological advancement in the country.

Restrictions on foreign investment may result from the political elite's interests and the U.S. government's lack of impartial regulations. In order to address its own racism and discrimination problems, the U.S. should pay attention to the opinions of people all over the world and take decisive action.

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