BEIJING: ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming told employees on Tuesday (Aug 4) there were misunderstandings on Chinese social media about TikTok's situation in the United States and that the company could face more difficulties as anti-Chinese sentiment rose abroad.
His comments in a letter to ByteDance's Chinese employees came after the company and Zhang were heavily criticised on Chinese social media for entering into talks with Microsoft to sell TikTok's US operations.
Chinese media first reported the contents of the internal letter. A source confirmed the content of the memo to Reuters.
ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"I actually understand (the criticism)," Zhang said in the letter. "People have high expectations of a company founded by a Chinese person which is going global but have little information about it. With lots of grievances towards the US government, they tend to lash out at us with harsh criticism."
Since Monday, some users of China's Twitter-like Weibo have said they would uninstall ByteDance's Chinese short video app Douyin and news aggregator Jinri Toutiao because they believed ByteDance had given in too quickly to Washington.
Others urged ByteDance to learn from US giant Google, which opted to pull its search engine out of the Chinese market in 2010 after China asked it to censor its search results, rather than selling off its Chinese operations.
Zhang said some people had misunderstood the US situation. He said Washington's goal was not to force a sale of TikTok's US operations through the Committee of Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) but to ban the app, and there was a legal process ByteDance had no choice but to follow.
Zhang told staff on Monday in another internal letter that the company had started talks with a tech company so it could continue to offer the TikTok app in the United States.
US President Donald Trump initially dismissed the idea of selling TikTok's US operations to Microsoft but changed his mind following pressure from some advisers and many in the Republican party, because banning TikTok could alienate many young voters, Reuters has reported.
Zhang also told employees that over the last two years, anti-Chinese sentiment had risen in many countries and the company must brace for more difficulties in the current atmosphere.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong reported 80 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday (Aug 4), including 75 that were locally transmitted, as authorities race to contain a third wave of the outbreak that has seen infections soar over the past month.
Since late January, Hong Kong has reported more than 3,600 infections and 40 related deaths.
The city saw a surge in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in July and introduced a raft of tightening measures, including restricting gatherings to two people, mandating face masks in all outdoor public spaces and banning in-house dining after 6pm until at least Aug 11.
A ban on face-to-face teaching at local schools has also been extended beyond Aug 17, with the academic year now due to start with online classes.
Chinese health officials started arriving in Hong Kong over the weekend, part of a team that will carry out widespread COVID-19 testing in the territory.
This marks the first time mainland health officials have assisted Hong Kong in its battle to control the epidemic.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam had said that the city asked for help from the central government due to the resurgence in cases.
Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam last week postponed the election for the Legislative Council, or Legco, citing public health dangers.
The poll would have been the former British colony's first official vote since Beijing imposed a sweeping security law to tackle what China broadly defines as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, with punishment of up to life in prison.
Electoral rules in Hong Kong only allow votes to be postponed for 14 days, but colonial-era laws give the government broad powers in case of threats to public safety.
In a statement on Sunday, the Hong Kong Bar Association said the electoral law was more recent and more specific when it comes to public health hazards at election time and "generally" should take precedence over older legislation.
SINGAPORE: Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday (Aug 4) agreed on the importance of ensuring that COVID-19 vaccines will be made available globally.
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said, in a telephone call that Dr Balakrishnan received from Mr Pompeo, the two discussed collaboration in the research and development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
They also talked about the possibility of leveraging the strong US commercial presence in Singapore, including in pharmaceuticals, said MFA in a press statement.
The statement added: “Both sides welcome the new areas of bilateral cooperation in infrastructure and trade as well as customs facilitation which will increase bilateral trade and strengthen the United States’ economic engagement of Southeast Asia.”
During the call, Dr Balakrishnan and Mr Pompeo also reaffirmed the “excellent and longstanding ties” between their countries, underpinned by strong cooperation in economic, defence and security matters, said MFA.
“Minister Balakrishnan welcomed the United States’ sustained, constructive and stabilising presence in the region and its continued engagement and efforts to strengthen cooperation with regional partners and ASEAN, including to overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” it added.
SOUTH CHINA SEA DEVELOPMENTS
During the call, both sides also addressed developments in the South China Sea, said MFA, adding that Dr Balakrishnan reaffirmed Singapore’s consistent and longstanding position.
“Singapore is not a claimant state and we do not take sides on the competing territorial claims,” said the ministry.
“Our key interest is in maintaining peace and stability in one of the world’s busiest waterways.
“We uphold the right of all states to freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as support the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
China claims much of the South China Sea, but there are overlapping claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Washington and its allies have also challenged Beijing’s territorial claims.
In a separate statement, the State Department's principal deputy spokesperson Cale Brown said Mr Pompeo reiterated US support for Southeast Asian states upholding their sovereign rights and interests under international law.
During the call, Mr Pompeo also underscored US opposition to China’s efforts to "use coercion to push its unlawful South China Sea maritime claims”, added the spokesperson.
The United States' "bullying" of Chinese tech companies was a consequence of Washington's zero-sum vision of "American first" and left China no choice but "submission or mortal combat in the tech realm", the state-backed paper said in an editorial.
China had "plenty of ways to respond if the administration carries out its planned smash and grab", it added.
Microsoft said on Monday it was in talks with ByteDance to buy parts of TikTok after US President Donald Trump reversed course on a plan to ban the app on national security grounds and gave the firms 45 days to strike a deal.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said over the weekend that Trump would take action shortly against Chinese software companies that shared user data with the Chinese government.
The Global Times newspaper, which is also government-backed, said US treatment of ByteDance and Huawei Technologies, now on a US trade blacklist, was indicative of US efforts to separate its economy from China's.
China had "limited ability" to provide protection to these Chinese companies by retaliating against US companies because the United States had technological superiority and influence with its allies, it added.
"China's opening-up to the outside world and disintegrating the US decoupling strategy should be priorities," it said in an editorial.
The Global Times is published by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party.
JAKARTA: “What? Why? But flying is dangerous. Are you not afraid?"
Such was the response from my family members when they heard about my upcoming flight - the first since COVID-19 hit in Indonesia in March.
Travelling by air is part and parcel of my job as a journalist in this huge archipelagic country.
But when COVID-19 broke out and my hometown Jakarta implemented a partial lockdown to curb the spread of the disease, I had to stop travelling.
In early June, the restrictions were lifted gradually and people started going out again. I, on the other hand, continued to work from home as I was still concerned about the growing number of infections in the capital.
However, when the chance arrived at the end of July to fly to Riau province, just under two hours away from Jakarta, I took the chance.
Crew members wearing protective masks carry their luggage at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, amid the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tangerang near Jakarta, Indonesia, May 12, 2020. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan
My family was shocked when I informed them about the plan. Their response was understandable, considering the fact that I am the one who constantly uses up our hand soap at home thanks to my excessive hand-washing routine.
Even though I have dined in a restaurant once and went to the mall once after the COVID-19 curbs in Jakarta were eased, was I really ready to be up in the air with strangers for almost two hours?
The idea was a bit frightening, to be honest, but I analysed the risk - Riau, unlike Jakarta, is not a COVID-19 hotbed.
Also, if I made proper preparations, it should not be that scary.
PREPARATION IS KEY
To prepare for the flight, I started by researching the health requirements to fly to Riau’s capital Pekanbaru because every airport in Indonesia has slightly different requirements.
Generally, if a person wants to fly out of Indonesia, one has to undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or a rapid test to show that she or he is most likely COVID-19 free.
For those who just want to travel domestically, a rapid test would suffice.
In Indonesia, it takes a few days for the PCR test result to be out. Priced between 1.5 million (US$103) and 3 million rupiah, it is a bit expensive for most people.
A health worker takes blood sample from a man at a rapid test for coronavirus infection in Bekasi on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia on May 19, 2020. (Photo: AP/Achmad Ibrahim)
A rapid test, on the other hand, is more affordable and widely available in health clinics and hospitals in Jakarta. The test result will be known in minutes.
I decided to take a drive-through rapid test at a clinic for 150,000 rupiah.
An employee of the clinic stuck a needle in my finger, took a sample of my blood and 15 minutes later informed me that my test result is non-reactive, meaning my blood sample did not display symptoms of COVID-19.
Since I was planning to be away for just three days, I only needed to take the rapid test in Jakarta because Pekanbaru’s airport accepts a rapid test result obtained within 14 days.
After taking my rapid test result, I took a self-assessment screening test as required by the Jakarta government.
The Corona Likelihood Metric (CLM) is available online and assesses a person’s likelihood of being infected with COVID-19 based on the health-related answers of the respondent.
My self-assessment indicated I belong to the category "Level 1 low risk" of having COVID-19, with a score of 28.5 per cent which is valid for a week.
I then filled in the Health Alert Card, another self-assessment e-form, which has to be presented at the airport of destination. This is mandatory for all passengers travelling within Indonesia and arriving from abroad.
On top of these, I also followed the government’s recommendation and downloaded its tracing app.
THE BIG DAY
Having been fully prepared for the big day, I felt at ease if not a bit excited to get on a plane again after a five-month hiatus.
On the day of my flight, I showed up at the airport wearing a N95 mask, a pair of goggles and a face shield.
Arriving at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in googles, N95 mask and face shield. (Photo: Kiki Siregar)
Even though it meant I could potentially offend the fashion police, I wanted to minimise the chance of me catching the virus by covering my face fully.
National carrier Garuda has only one flight daily from Jakarta to Pekanbaru at 8:25am, and travellers are advised to arrive at the airport three hours before the flight.
Hence, I arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at the break of dawn.
I was happy to see the airport again, though this time it was not the usual sight.
When I travel domestically from Jakarta, I usually take the first flight and despite the early hours, I would encounter crowds.
This time, it was different. The airport felt deserted. There were not a lot of people.
Upon entering the airport, I had to get my rapid test result checked. It was done very quickly, in about five minutes including queuing time.
Passengers queue to get their rapid test results checked at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. (Photo: Kiki Siregar)
Since I already checked-in online, I proceeded to the security check counters.
As I strolled through the airport, I noticed the quiet atmosphere.
The boutiques were still closed, and only a handful of restaurants and cafes were serving customers.
It has just been an hour, but I could not bear it further and proceeded to switch my N95 mask out for a surgical mask as I had difficulties breathing. I also took off my goggles but maintained my face shield.
I arrived at my boarding gate two hours before my flight and the waiting room was still empty.
A boarding gate at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport which serves Greater Jakarta. (Photo: Kiki Siregar)
I took the opportunity to just gaze at the airplanes parking, cherishing the moment I initially thought would not happen this year.
It felt a bit surreal upon entering the aircraft. The crew members who greeted me all had surgical masks and plastic gloves on.
For our row of three seats, I sat by the window while a man took the aisle seat. The middle seat was left empty to adhere to social distancing protocols.
The airplane was about 50 per cent empty, even though aircraft are allowed to fly with up to 70 per cent of its capacity. I cannot remember when I was last in such an empty plane.
I buckled my seat belt, sat back and tried to relax.
As the plane started to take off, I was suddenly overcome by emotions.
I was happy I could fly again and grateful that I was still alive amid the pandemic, yet sad that COVID-19 has hit the airline and travel industry and there is no sign of a full recovery in the near future.
I looked at other passengers. Only a few wore face shields, and most seemed relaxed, breathing through their cloth or surgical masks.
I normally like to enjoy the in-flight entertainment while flying, but this time I refrained from it since I want to avoid touching shared surfaces as much as possible.
When the plane finally landed in Pekanbaru, I felt relieved that everything went smoothly.
My return flight to Jakarta two days later was even emptier and I was definitely more relaxed.
To be on the safe side, I will get another COVID-19 test in Jakarta in two weeks' time.
With this experience, next time when duty calls, I will worry less about flying amid the ongoing pandemic.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Monday the US government should get a "substantial portion" of the sales price of the US operations of TikTok and warned he will ban the service in the United States on Sep 15 without a sale.
The turnaround came after Trump Friday he said he was planning to ban the Chinese-owned video app's US operations as soon as Saturday after dismissing a possible sale to Microsoft.
Reuters reported last week that some investors are valuing TikTok at about US$50 billion, citing people familiar with the matter.
"I did say that if you buy it, whatever the price is that goes to whoever owns it, because I guess it’s China essentially … I said a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because we’re making it possible for this deal to happen," Trump said.
It was not clear how the US government would receive part of the purchase price.
He added it "will close down on Sep 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal, an appropriate deal so the Treasury … of the United States gets a lot of money.
Daniel Elman, analyst at Nucleus Research, said a sale "could foreshadow a growing wave of US company acquisition of Chinese internet properties, particularly if the geopolitical tensions continue to mount."
Elman said that could impact Tencent's WeChat.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo referenced WeChat on Sunday and said Trump "will take action in the coming days with respect to a broad array of national security risks that are presented by software connected to the Chinese Communist Party."
US officials have said TikTok poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post last week that the company was committed to following US laws and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms.
Trump's comments confirmed a Reuters report on Sunday that he had agreed to give China's ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of popular short-video app TikTok to Microsoft.
Trump, a former New York real estate developer, compared TikTok to the landlord tenant relationship, suggesting TikTok is like a tenant. "Without a lease, the tenant has nothing - so they pay what's called key money or they pay something."
He said he did not mind "whether it’s Microsoft or somebody else - a big company, a secure company, very, very American company buy it."
Microsoft said Sunday that CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to Trump and "is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States."
Microsoft said Sunday it is "committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury."
Many prominent Republicans, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, issued statements in support of a Microsoft acquisition of TikTok's U.S. operations. Some congressional aides are worried about a backlash by younger voters against the party if Trump banned TikTok, which has 100 million American users.
Microsoft and TikTok parent ByteDance gave the US government a notice of intent to explore a preliminary proposal for Microsoft to purchase the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
US Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also backed the sale, while a senior White House adviser raised concerns about a sale to Microsoft.
"A US company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe," Schumer said on Twitter, adding: "This is about privacy. With TikTok in China, it's subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government."
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested on Monday that Microsoft could divest its holdings in China if it were to buy TikTok.
"So the question is, is Microsoft going to be compromised?" Navarro said in an interview with CNN. "Maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings?"
Navarro said the Chinese government and military use Microsoft software “to do all the things they do.”
