In a recent congressional hearing focused on child online safety, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew found himself at the center of a controversial exchange. US Senator Tom Cotton grilled the Singaporean-born executive about alleged connections to the Communist Party of China (CPC).
While executives from other major internet companies, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, X's Linda Yaccarino, Snap's Evan Spiegel, and Discord's Jason Citron, participated in the same hearing, Chew was singled out with questions that many viewed as unrelated to the topic at hand.
Over 50 members of Congress questioned Chew, with Senator Cotton specifically requesting to see Chew's passport and probing into his ties to the CPC. This line of inquiry was widely criticized as being baseless and discriminatory.
The incident quickly gained traction on social media, with tens of thousands of viewers sharing and commenting on video clips of the hearing. Singaporeans and members of the Asian American caucus condemned Cotton's approach, labeling it as racist and biased.
The Washington Post described Cotton's questioning style as \"McCarthyesque,\" drawing parallels to the infamous tactics used during past periods of political paranoia. The majority of responses on platforms like Instagram have been critical of Cotton, accusing him of targeting Chew based on his ethnicity.
Incidents of racism and hostility against Asian communities in the US have been on the rise, with the grilling of Chew serving as a stark reminder of the pervasive discrimination that many face. Cotton's unfounded allegations that Singapore is being infiltrated by Chinese spies further fueled accusations of prejudice and misinformation.
Chew maintained his stance, affirming his Singaporean nationality and denying any connections to the CPC. His repeated need to defend his nationality in Senate hearings underscores the challenges faced by Asian executives in the current political climate.
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U.S.'s grilling of TikTok CEO shows its racism and discrimination
cgtn.com
