In whatever form it will take, the Wechat ban stands to make a quick splash in the media cycle, allowing President Trump to claim a hollow victory against China while fanning the flames of nationalism in his desperate bid for reelection. Will it behave the same way with the US, or mount retaliatory actions? Right now it is impossible to say. On July 27, the company stopped providing services to India-based users. In India, Tencent cooperated with the ban, without arguing about its legality. It’s hard to know the legality of such a ban, but it’ll likely be made on national security grounds, which has a wide legal leeway.” “Chances of some sort of ban on Wechat before the election is higher than 50%, but it will likely be partial, for example, banning all Federal employees and/or contractors who do business with the Federal government.
Kevin Xu, a seasoned political organizer and a tech startup advisor based in California, offered a measured perspective on what may come to pass, prior to yesterday’s executive order. While discussions of scrubbing China’s digital presence from American networks are still in the conceptual stages, the legality of implementing a sweeping ban remains dubious. READ MORE: Techwar: Trump to end transactions with Tencent and Bytedance in 45 days A potential US-based Wechat ban looms darkly as US-China relations traverse increasingly choppy waters. On June 29, the Modi government banned Wechat, along with 58 other Chinese apps, in response to tensions in the China-India border.Īfter weeks of deliberation, the US launched its own assault with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s newly unveiled “Clean Network” initiative, and a freshly released Executive Order that takes direct aim at Wechat. The first blow to Wechat’s global network came from India. But at its core, it’s about connections between people. Over the years, Wechat has grown from a simple mobile messaging app to a sprawling super app on which people conduct business, consume content, make monetary transactions, and live their lives. It’s no longer possible to dismiss these fears and paranoia. Yesterday’s executive order from US President Donald Trump, banning “transactions” with Tencent that relate to Wechat, will certainly change her tone. “I mean, Trump would do anything to better his chances for a reelection.”īeneath her feigned nonchalance I noted a familiar anxiety we share. “So why did you send me that guide?” I asked. “I never believed or worried about a Wechat ban,” my mother remarked after sending it to me. Her work explores feminism, diaspora identity, and social issues. She is a freelance writer, illustrator, and strategist based in Boston. Frankie Huang was born in Beijing and raised in New Jersey.
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