TikTok’s algorithmic manipulation is to curate China’s peaceful intentions, glorify China’s developmental experience, blunt criticism of the communist party, and promote tourism in China while painting others as declining powers, aggressors, or even incompetent
China’s insensitivities towards India and blatant violation of written agreements have hampered bilateral relations for more than four years.
Even though China debarred global social internet sites like Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Yahoo, and others more than a decade ago, the issue of proscription of Chinese-owned TikTok by the United States government has raised a major controversy that threatens to engulf geopolitics, global power transition, data security, influence operations, perception management, personal freedom, and creativity.
High in optics and but low in content, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China this week sends signals of balancing India. For the past decade, China has been upping the ante in Kathmandu with close political tie-ups between the communist parties, promises for infrastructure projects, trade, tourism and others.
Expecting a hardline posture from Trump, China is making tactical adjustments with major powers in Asia
With emerging disruptions in the US and China, the impact on the rest of the world is going to be phenomenal and at times destructive.