In the New York Times article
titled Trump’s Orders on
WeChat and TikTok Are Uncertain. That May Be the Point, author Ana Swanson discusses the impacts of the
Trump administration’s restrictions on U.S. citizens, companies, and businesses
from using the Chinese mobile applications TikTok and WeChat. These apps
facilitate social media interaction and financial transactions in the U.S. and across
the globe (Swanson, 2020). The Trump administration cites national security
concerns as the primary reason for the restrictions which are to be effected
after 45 days. However, the article argues that these restrictions are
haphazardly applied, often failing to articulate the nature of such a ban
clearly. Swanson (2020) notes that this adversely impacts the U.S. business
environment, limiting investments from multinational companies.
Swanson
(2020) also writes that China has continually engaged in “civil military
fusion,” limiting the independence of American businesses based in China.
Further, quoting a government official, the article notes that these Chinese
applications pose privacy challenges to U.S. citizens. Primarily, the apps can
be used to monitor, surveil, and track organizational and personal information.
Such activities are blamed on the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese
companies have accused the U.S. of dictating terms and failing to consider the
legal requirements and business interests (Swanson, 2020).
According to Swanson (2020), the U.S. government increasingly puts such vague prohibitions on Chinese companies to discourage American companies from investing and operating in China. Mostly, such prohibitions leave Chinese “multinational companies in suspense for days or weeks about the specifics” (Swanson, 2020, n.p.). This is a hallmark of American policy pronouncements, especially when handling trade issues with China (Swanson, 2020). For instance, in 2018, the U.S. state increased tariffs on Chinese products, which escalated the trade war then (Swanson, 2020). Measures such as export controls and tariffs on Chinese goods and technology, like in the Huawei case, have been used by the U.S. government to manipulate Chinese companies to comply with their policy demands and regulations (Swanson, 2020). The article concludes by noting that the U.S. government may increasingly involve itself in trade regulation and policy when dealing with China. This, Swanson (2020) notes, will see other Chinese companies frequently evaluate their investment and impact U.S. businesses that use Chinese technologies.