{"id":92043,"date":"2020-10-18T19:00:01","date_gmt":"2020-10-18T16:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-trumps-push-to-ban-wechat-would-be-hard-on-the-chinese-diaspora\/"},"modified":"2020-10-18T19:00:01","modified_gmt":"2020-10-18T16:00:01","slug":"why-trumps-push-to-ban-wechat-would-be-hard-on-the-chinese-diaspora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-trumps-push-to-ban-wechat-would-be-hard-on-the-chinese-diaspora\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why Trump\u2019s push to ban WeChat would be hard on the Chinese diaspora"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a413c6159bc1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a413c6159bc1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-trumps-push-to-ban-wechat-would-be-hard-on-the-chinese-diaspora\/#Multiple_apps_in_one\" >Multiple apps in one<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-trumps-push-to-ban-wechat-would-be-hard-on-the-chinese-diaspora\/#WeChat_and_guanxi\" >WeChat and guanxi<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-trumps-push-to-ban-wechat-would-be-hard-on-the-chinese-diaspora\/#Legal_fight\" >Legal fight<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Why Trump\u2019s push to ban WeChat would be hard on the Chinese diaspora<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                            Chinese Americans are waiting nervously to hear whether the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to ban the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a> WeChat in the US will be successful.<\/p>\n<p>Donald Trump issued <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/executive-order-addressing-threat-posed-wechat\/\">an executive order<\/a> on August 6 placing the Chinese-owned app in the firing line, claiming it was a \u201cthreat\u201d to US national security. The order propelled the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commerce.gov\/news\/press-releases\/2020\/09\/commerce-department-prohibits-wechat-and-tiktok-transactions-protect\">US Department of Commerce<\/a> into action to propose banning WeChat from US app stores and prohibit money transfers using the app. This move was met with <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/news\/wechat-china-social-media-tech-chinese-immigrant-20200927.html\">dismay<\/a> by many Chinese Americans, who rely on the app as a source of both <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> and connection with family and friends in China.<\/p>\n<p>On September 20, a few days before the executive order was due to take effect, a federal judge put a preliminary injunction on the ban, bringing temporary relief to the Chinese diaspora. But the Trump administration has since <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-usa-wechat-ban-idUSKBN26N2SV\">lodged an appeal<\/a>, indicating a determination to pursue the ban and leaving WeChat users in America uncertain of the app\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Multiple_apps_in_one\"><\/span>Multiple apps in one<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>WeChat, like the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/trumps-tiktok-deal-explained-who-is-oracle-why-walmart-and-what-does-it-mean-for-our-data-146566\">video-sharing app TikTok<\/a>, has been caught up in mounting <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/blog\/order-from-chaos\/2020\/08\/07\/more-pain-than-gain-how-the-us-china-trade-war-hurt-america\/\">trade tensions<\/a> and a growing <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fm-magazine.com\/news\/2020\/aug\/geopolitical-tensions-threat-to-china-businesses.html\">geopolitical rivalry<\/a> between the US and China. The ownership of data and the digital <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> companies behind popular apps has taken center stage.<\/p>\n<p>While Tiktok has a strong presence in the US, with an estimated user base of 100 million, WeChat use is more highly concentrated in the Chinese American community, with an average US monthly user-base of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2020\/sep\/22\/trump-wechat-executive-order-chinese-americans\">19 million active daily users<\/a>. However, WeChat is a behemoth in the global app market, with more than <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/255778\/number-of-active-wechat-messenger-accounts\/\">1.2 billion monthly active users<\/a> in the second quarter of 2020.<\/p>\n<p><em>[Read: The US is banning TikTok and WeChat \u2014 but the benefits won\u2019t outweigh the costs]<\/em><\/p>\n<p>WeChat\u2019s multifunctionality makes it difficult to characterize in terms of platforms familiar to a western audience. This single app offers text, voice, and video communication among different types of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> networks, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s, QR code scanning, taxi-hailing, mobile commerce , and phone payment functionality.<\/p>\n<p>Its core function, <em>qun<\/em>, is similar to WhatsApp \u2013 allowing users to create a group of up to 500 members, send text, voice, photo, and video messages to the group and organize group calls. <em>Pengyouquan<\/em> (similar to Facebook posts) enables users to share updates, while <em>Gongzhonghao<\/em> (official accounts) is similar to Twitter, allowing individuals, government, media, and enterprises to set up official accounts and feeds. The app\u2019s commercial functionality also makes it similar to apps such as Apple Pay and Paypal.<\/p>\n<p>With this combined massive user-base and range of functionality, WeChat is a central feature of daily life in China. It\u2019s one of the relatively few apps that is available both within and outside of China \u2013 representing a vital link for the Chinese diaspora to friends, family, and news from home.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WeChat_and_guanxi\"><\/span>WeChat and <em>guanxi<\/em><br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In our <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/1461444819830072\">research<\/a> on WeChat use by Chinese citizens living in the UK, it was clear how central the app was to their daily lives. Our participants discussed using WeChat \u201cevery minute\u201d and told us that: \u201cChecking updates on WeChat is the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do before going to bed in the evening.\u201d Research from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/toc\/miad\/173\/1\">Australia<\/a> shows the app is being used in similar ways there too.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/363256\/original\/file-20201013-21-1rao4xx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/363256\/original\/file-20201013-21-1rao4xx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/363256\/original\/file-20201013-21-1rao4xx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/363256\/original\/file-20201013-21-1rao4xx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/363256\/original\/file-20201013-21-1rao4xx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/363256\/original\/file-20201013-21-1rao4xx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/363256\/original\/file-20201013-21-1rao4xx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"Woman holding phone and coffe cup sitting in a cafe.\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/syndication\/2020\/10\/18\/why-trumps-push-to-ban-wechat-would-be-hard-on-the-chinese-diaspora\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fsyndication%2F2020%2F10%2F18%2Fwhy-trumps-push-to-ban-wechat-would-be-hard-on-the-chinese-diaspora%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Glued to WeChat. By leungchopan\/Shutterstock\" data-title=\"Share Glued to WeChat. By leungchopan\/Shutterstock on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Glued to WeChat. By leungchopan\/Shutterstock on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Glued to WeChat. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/woman-use-smart-phone-coffee-shop-399188647\">By leungchopan\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In political terms, WeChat serves a rather subtle function. On one hand, it can be an effective way to raise awareness and mobilize on issues that affect people\u2019s lives. On the other, the platform is steeped in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/citizenlab.ca\/2020\/05\/we-chat-they-watch\/\">well-founded fears<\/a> around censorship and monitoring, which can inhibit discussions that challenge authority.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also space where an emphasis is put on pragmatism \u2013 and where social ties, or <em>guanxi<\/em> in the Chinese context, are constructed. <em>Guanxi<\/em> refers to a range of socio-cultural components such as trustworthiness, reputation, reciprocity, and obligation that can <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0002764215580613\">make or break people\u2019s standing in Chinese society<\/a>. <em>Guanxi<\/em> provides a way for people to cultivate social relations and exchange favors with others \u2013 and WeChat provides the only platform for many Chinese people to maintain such social relations overseas.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legal_fight\"><\/span>Legal fight<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Resistance to the executive order banning WeChat was quickly taken up by five Chinese American lawyers, who established the US WeChat Users\u2019 Alliance (<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/uswua.org\/\">USWUA<\/a>). It was this group that initiated the legal challenge to the executive order on the grounds that WeChat is not only an essential network for Chinese Americans to run businesses and engage in diaspora community life but also the only means for Chinese Americans to remain connected to family and friends in China.<\/p>\n<p>Michael Bien, who represents the USWUA, has <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/Politics\/International-relations\/US-China-tensions\/US-based-WeChat-users-sue-over-Trump-s-unconstitutional-ban\">argued<\/a> that the proposed ban violates the constitutional rights of Chinese Americans as \u201can insular group that has historically been a minority that\u2019s been subject to discrimination in the US, by law or by practice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The legal action was taken because the ban threatens the essential communication lifeline within the community. As USWUA states on its official website: the American Chinese community has never caused trouble in the US. While it\u2019s unlikely there will be widespread protests if WeChat is eventually banned, doing so will cut off a vital communication tool for this community.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/146814\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><em>This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/yan-wu-422253\">Yan Wu<\/a>, Associate Professor in Media and Communications, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/swansea-university-2638\">Swansea University<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/matt-wall-1159706\">Matt Wall<\/a>, Associate Professor, Political and Cultural Studies , <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/swansea-university-2638\">Swansea University<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/wechat-why-donald-trumps-push-to-ban-the-app-would-be-so-hard-on-the-chinese-diaspora-146814\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/syndication\/2020\/10\/18\/why-trumps-push-to-ban-wechat-would-be-hard-on-the-chinese-diaspora\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Why Trump\u2019s push to ban WeChat would be hard on the Chinese diaspora&#8221; Chinese Americans are waiting nervously to hear whether the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to ban the app WeChat in the US will be successful. Donald Trump issued an executive order on August 6 placing the Chinese-owned app in the firing line, claiming it&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":92044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/1-8.jpg&signature=946808a0e21388e7159d56b85b27e5ed","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[4973,4941,76259,73274,70759],"class_list":["post-92043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-china","tag-donald-trump","tag-executive-order","tag-mobile-app","tag-tech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}