Chinese tech companies like TikTok and SHEIN have rapidly increased their spending on lobbying efforts within the United States. TikTok’s parent company ByteDance spent $8.74 million on lobbying in 2023, a 77% increase over the previous year. SHEIN spent $2.12 million in 2023 on lobbying, a 760% increase. The moves come as the U.S. government ramps up scrutiny and rhetoric targeting the companies amid broader U.S.-China tensions. The statistics on lobbying expense come from mandatory disclosure reports that the companies filed with Congress. TikTok and SHEIN aim to expand in the massive U.S. consumer market as growth slows at home in China.

TikTok now has 170 million U.S. users, gaining popularity despite previous bans. An e-commerce feature was added to the platform in 2023. TikTok’s lobbying focuses on pushing back against bills in Congress that would restrict the company’s U.S. business or ban use on government devices. Starting after U.S. regulator discussion of a possible ban in 2020, TikTok has grown its lobbying staff to about 14 people. TikTok lobbying was likely successful in slowing momentum for a ban as public opposition fell.

SHEIN lobbies on apparel, e-commerce, and trade controls. The company reportedly hired a former U.S. Trade Representative employee to argue SHEIN’s economic benefits to Congress as the company plans a U.S. IPO. Some in Congress claim that SHEIN uses a customs loophole to sell goods that have been produced with forced labor.

Both companies aim to expand within the U.S. while facing more scrutiny over data and economic security.

Source: Nikkei, February 2, 2024
https://zh.cn.nikkei.com/china/ccompany/54759-2024-02-02-10-55-24.html

United Daily News (UDN), one of the primary Taiwanese news groups, recently reported on the global “2023 Notorious Markets List” recently announced by The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The list including 39 online markets and 33 physical markets where piracy is rampant. Among them, China’s online markets Taobao, WeChat, Pinduoduo (U.S. branch name Temu), and seven physical markets (including Shopee) were named again.

These Notorious Markets are considered to be involved in or to be abetting a large volume of trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. This year’s list focuses on the potential health and safety risks posed by counterfeit goods, which use poor quality materials and are manufactured without supervision or safety controls, resulting in products that are substandard, ineffective or dangerous. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said that counterfeit and pirated goods harms workers, consumers and small businesses, and ultimately harm the U.S. economy. She added that crackdown on trade in these goods is important for economic growth.

This year, seven Chinese physical markets were named on the list, including Huaqiang Electronic World, Luohu Commercial City, Beijing Silk Street Market, and Wuai Market. Although Shopee, headquartered in Singapore, has invested heavily in the past year to enhance anti-counterfeiting capabilities, there still remain a large number of counterfeit goods on the platform, and problems such as slow response times remain.

Source: UDN, January 30, 2024
https://udn.com/news/story/6809/7743640

People’s Daily posted a 17-seconds video clip (with Chinese subtitle) of Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor of the United States, with title “Sullivan’s Admission: the U.S.’ Efforts to Change China over the Past Several Decades Have Failed.” In the video, Sullivan said:

“We realize that efforts, implied or explicit, to shape or change PRC (People’s Republic of China) over several decades did not succeed. We expect that PRC will be a major player on the world stage for the foreseeable future. That means that even as we compete, we have to find ways to live alongside one another.”

{Editor’s Note: The video clip seems to be from Sullivan’s long speech on the future of U.S.-China relations delivered at the Brookings Institution on January 30, 2024. A transcript of the entire speech is available here.}

Sources:
1. People’s Daily, February 2, 2024
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2024/0202/c1002-40172130.html
2. White House, January 30, 2024
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/01/30/remarks-and-qa-by-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-on-the-future-of-u-s-china-relations/