China Strategy reception, Hong Kong APPG, Jimmy Lai, FTSE100 reportings
A Beijing to Britain briefing
Hello,
Will the ban on TikTok spread to other Chinese companies in the UK? That’s a question I’ve been mulling over of late, and one I think we may see British politicians start to explore.
My thinking is (typically) simple and fairly unsophisticated. If I were still working in Parliament for an MP with China-related interests, I would be pondering the following:
Downing Street has banned TikTok from Government devices, citing concerns over China's National Intelligence Law. That means (at the very least) it recognises concerns over the issue of British data flowing back to China, and is (at the very least) unconvinced of the counter-arguments put forward by TikTok’s UK team. If I’m working for a hawkish MP, they probably hold the view that the ban should go much further than just Government devices, and for reasons beyond just data flows.
As someone who uses a smartphone regularly, I would note that there are a number of Chinese apps in the top 10 downloaded lists. Many of these are commerce apps - which will require user data. Now that’s interesting.
Briefing an MP, I would raise that the Americans seem concerned about this issue too. Given the Government publicly acknowledges data concerns, should we not begin to push them to ban other apps to which the National Intelligence Law applies? Let’s table a Written Question and see what they say.
Like tugging at a loose thread of a jumper, this is a simple method for beginning to probe the Government’s approach to an issue. And when coordinated properly, that small thread tug can start to create real problems for the jumper as a whole. Clearly, there is a level of complexity that will not be captured by this thought process; for example, concerns around TikTok are wider than just data exfiltration, touching on manipulation of algorithms and censorship too. But data is the root concern for many British politicians when it comes to these apps, and many more remain largely ignorant as to how critical a role data will play as a resource in the future. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has warned previously over at2-2-2 that these apps “could pose similar challenges [to TikTok], particularly with respect to data harvesting, data exploitation, and—possibly—covert influence.” And as we’ve discussed in previous briefings, Britain’s spooks have warned that the “dramatic rise of China as a technology superpower” is an issue that “[s]ome may dismiss…as far-fetched or scaremongering, but it is a risk I would urge you to take seriously. This is simply not something about which any of us can be complacent.”
Let’s see how it plays out.
— Sam Hogg, Editor
In this week’s Briefing Note, we look at:
The reaction to the Foreign Secretary’s speech
A Hong Kong APPG report on Jimmy Lai and press freedom in Hong Kong
Global Britain’s Indo-Pacific moves
Updates from Standard Chartered and Prudential