During a tense hearing on Wednesday, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas faced criticism for his extensive questioning of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about his citizenship and potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Child Safety Online
This exchange occurred at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on child safety online. Chew and the CEOs of Meta, X, Discord, and Snap were present to address social media regulation challenges.
Singaporean or Communist?
Senator Cotton inquired, “Have you ever been a member of the Chinese Communist Party?” to which Chew, a Singaporean residing in Singapore with his American family, replied, “Senator, I’m Singaporean.”
Relentless Questioning
When Cotton continued, ‘“Have you ever been associated or affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party?” Chew reiterated, No, Senator. Again, I’m Singaporean!”
Revisiting Tiananmen
The intense dialogue between Senator Tom Cotton and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew also touched on the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, with Cotton probing for Chew’s views.
Massacre Acknowledgment
“You said earlier, in response to a question, that what happened at Tiananmen Square in June of 1989 was a ‘massive protest.’ Did anything else happen at Tiananmen Square?” Cotton questioned.
Chew acknowledged, “Yes, I think it’s well documented. There was a massacre.”
Online Outrage
The exchange quickly garnered attention on social media. Heidi Moore, a journalist and digital media consultant, expressed her views on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “This is absolutely phenomenal in its revelation of how racist our government is, not just because the question itself is Sinophobic, but also because it’s clear that Tom Cotton can’t tell Asians apart even when they tell him,”
Standing Against Stereotypes
Similarly, the AAPI Victory Fund, a political action committee advocating for Asian American candidates, condemned Cotton’s line of questioning as ‘disgraceful, blatantly racist, and deeply racist,’ in a tweet.
Cultural Correction
Criticizing Cotton’s line of questioning, California Democrat Ted Lieu stated on X, “Dear @SenTomCotton: FYI, in Asia there are different countries. Citizens of different countries may look similar to you, but in fact they are from different countries. Happy to provide additional basic facts to you or your staff that I learned in elementary school. Ask anytime.”
‘Racist’
Elie Mystal of The Nation argued, “Tom Cotton is a racist dip…t and while it’s always fashionable to focus on the racist part, I really don’t think the dip…t part gets enough attention”.
‘Not all Asians are Chinese’
MSNBC host Katie Phang emphasized, Hey @SenTomCotton: Singapore is not China – Singapore has been self-governed since 1959 – Singapore is not a communist state. And, here’s the real kicker for you: – Not all Asians are Chinese and we aren’t all secretly members of the ‘Chinese Communist Party’.”
Cotton Defends His Questioning
Following the hearing, Senator Tom Cotton defended his questioning line on Fox News. He asserted that it was ‘entirely reasonable’ to inquire if TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, like his company, might be under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
Cotton’s office, however, did not respond to requests for further comments.
Confronting Uyghur Crisis
During the questioning, Senator Tom Cotton turned his attention to the Chinese treatment of the Uyghur people, which the U.S. government has labeled as a ‘genocide.’ However, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew did not directly comment on this issue.
Chew also refrained from commenting on President Joe Biden’s description of Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a ‘dictator.’
Tech Titans Talk
The hearing also focused on other CEOs from major tech companies, who were questioned about their stance on legislative measures aimed at addressing issues like teen content moderation and the sale of illegal drugs on their platforms.
Zuckerberg’s Regret
A pivotal moment occurred when Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg directly apologized to families in the audience, acknowledging that social media played a role in their children’s tragic suicides.
Cyber Concerns
Chew and ByteDance, the platform’s China-based parent company, have been the primary targets of scrutiny by politicians. There have been calls to ban the platform due to worries about the Chinese government’s potential misuse of user data.
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