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China’s ByteDance receives mixed reaction at home for suing the US government over its TikTok order
- Public opinion in China over ByteDance’s legal challenge remains mixed, with many netizens saying the company ‘has no backbone’
- Even if its lawsuit succeeds, ByteDance still has to deal with the other executive order about divesting TikTok’s US operations
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TikTok owner ByteDance has received a mixed reaction in its home market for suing the United States government over an executive order that would ban its popular short video service in the world’s largest economy.
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Beijing-based ByteDance on Monday filed its lawsuit in federal court for the Central District of California against US President Donald Trump, the Department of Commerce and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in the strongest opposition yet to the executive order on August 6, which singled out TikTok as a national security threat.
Another executive order signed by Trump on August 14 directed ByteDance to divest its TikTok operations in the US within 90 days.
Public opinion in China, however, about ByteDance’s legal challenge remains mixed, with many netizens saying the company “has no backbone” and only “decided to fight when there was no way out”. Some referenced recent reports that American tech giants Microsoft Corp and Oracle had held separate talks with ByteDance on a deal to buy TikTok’s business in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
“If you fight in the first place, everyone will support you. But you bowed your head and knelt down to the US, which made the public hate you,” said a Weibo user named “Jiujiuerwangfugui’ whose comment has been liked more than 30,000 times on the local microblogging site. “Now you’ve realised there is no way other than to resist because all you have gained from the US are more severe sanctions. Do you think people are willing to support your soft backbone?”
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US demands for TikTok may escalate decoupling and hurt businesses, says China expert
US demands for TikTok may escalate decoupling and hurt businesses, says China expert
Those who support ByteDance on China’s social media argued that the TikTok owner needed more encouragement and gave the company credit for standing up against the Trump administration.
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