US Signals Sanctions on WeChat Following TikTok... "National Security Threat"

US Government Anticipates Comprehensive Regulation of Chinese SNS
UK Also Pressures to Exclude Huawei from 5G Projects

[Image source= WeChat official website/www.wechat.com]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. White House has indicated that it will impose sanctions on WeChat, a Chinese social networking service (SNS) application, following TikTok, citing threats to U.S. national security. This has led to expectations that regulations on Chinese SNS platforms will be broadly implemented. The UK government, under pressure from the U.S. government, has also decided to exclude Chinese company Huawei from its 5G network construction project and plans to make an official announcement this week.

Peter Navarro, Director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, stated in an interview with Fox News on the 12th (local time), "President Donald Trump will soon issue sanctions on WeChat along with TikTok," adding, "These apps can be exploited by the Chinese Communist Party to steal U.S. intellectual property." He further emphasized, "Even if these companies are sold to U.S. firms, the sanctions will remain unchanged."

The sanctions policy on WeChat is expected to cause significant repercussions alongside TikTok. On the 7th, President Trump said in an interview with Gray TV, "We are considering banning TikTok," and described banning TikTok as "one of many ways to retaliate against China, which caused the deaths of Americans due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)." U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also recently mentioned in an interview with Fox News that the U.S. is seriously considering banning Chinese social media, including TikTok.

WeChat and TikTok each have over one billion users worldwide, with more than 50 million users in the U.S., primarily teenagers. Notably, Navarro reaffirmed the Chinese ownership of TikTok, stating in May that appointing Kevin Mayer, a former Walt Disney executive, as the new CEO does not mean the company is controlled by Americans, calling him a "puppet" for the U.S.

In the U.S., the removal of Chinese SNS platforms has begun mainly among private companies. Major banks like Wells Fargo, as well as Amazon, have asked employees to remove TikTok from their phones. Amazon later retracted this notice, calling it a mistake.

Sanctions on the IT sector are spreading to the UK. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce plans to phase out Huawei from the 5G network project within this week. According to The Times, U.S. pressure on the UK is intensifying. On the 13th, Robert O'Brien, White House National Security Advisor, is scheduled to meet with Mark Sedwill, UK Cabinet Secretary, in Paris, urging acceleration of Huawei's removal. In the UK, voices, mainly from the Conservative Party, are growing louder, calling for Huawei's exclusion by 2023 for national security reasons.