Modern history through the Cold War sees diplomacy through the lens of "great powers" exercising some "sphere of influence" over vassals, subjects, and partners.
Through the 19th and 20th century, up to WWII, the US worked to define its sphere of influence as all of the Western Hemisphere (Monroe Doctrine) and as much of Pacific rim as they could claw away from declining/decolonizing European powers.
After WWII, as the only great power able to proceed at full stride and with no recovery to muster, they were able to cement the Pacific projection through new relationships with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, etc
But the landscape changed over the subsequent 80 years, with China's independent modernization and industrialization setting it up as the modern "great power" was due to inherit its legacy from pre-modern history.
And so we arrive at today, where China feels increasingly ready to challenge stale European and US influence over Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South East more generally. The US inevitably needs to respond to those challenges. That's the brewing, long-anticipated, and seemingly inevitable conflict that becomes increasingly hot as the US is stretched thin by internal conflict and Russias's parallel challenges to it in Europe.
In this global conflict, TikTok's continued success is a huge benefit to China and huge vulnerability to the US.
Meanwhile, domestic social media companies actually play the opposite strategic role, giving the US a channel to project its voice into foreign constituencies to influence both allies and enemies. Which we can assume is why China already bans them there.
Modern history through the Cold War sees diplomacy through the lens of "great powers" exercising some "sphere of influence" over vassals, subjects, and partners.
Through the 19th and 20th century, up to WWII, the US worked to define its sphere of influence as all of the Western Hemisphere (Monroe Doctrine) and as much of Pacific rim as they could claw away from declining/decolonizing European powers.
After WWII, as the only great power able to proceed at full stride and with no recovery to muster, they were able to cement the Pacific projection through new relationships with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, etc
But the landscape changed over the subsequent 80 years, with China's independent modernization and industrialization setting it up as the modern "great power" was due to inherit its legacy from pre-modern history.
And so we arrive at today, where China feels increasingly ready to challenge stale European and US influence over Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South East more generally. The US inevitably needs to respond to those challenges. That's the brewing, long-anticipated, and seemingly inevitable conflict that becomes increasingly hot as the US is stretched thin by internal conflict and Russias's parallel challenges to it in Europe.
In this global conflict, TikTok's continued success is a huge benefit to China and huge vulnerability to the US.
Meanwhile, domestic social media companies actually play the opposite strategic role, giving the US a channel to project its voice into foreign constituencies to influence both allies and enemies. Which we can assume is why China already bans them there.