China bans our tech companies. You could think of this as simply retaliation for their protectionism.
But having non-democratic, adversarial nations controlling the algorithm that programs us is quite scary. At large scale, that does something.
But having non-democratic, adversarial nations controlling the algorithm that programs us is quite scary. At large scale, that does something.
That's not the same as having different standards for domestic and foreign companies.
You literally have to operate through a Chinese owned joint venture company.
Are you saying 100% of foreign-owned tech companies in China are operated via joint ventures?
If you look at what Google was doing with project dragonfly (before it was shut down), they opened a JV to operate it:
https://theintercept.com/2018/09/21/google-suppresses-memo-r...
This is generally true as well, though I do not have a source for the general law. But it obviously applies to Google
Worse, they do have different standards for domestic and foreign products. TikTok, for example, is banned in China. The approved social media app carries state crafted propaganda. A year or so ago you'd see employment information for women on WeChat. Now you see advice for staying home and raising children, because the state decided that's what women should do in China.
Chinese companies are Chinese government entities. The government there fully understands that tools like WeChat and TikTok can be used to move public opinion or distract, degrade, and erode and they use them to do exactly that.
They don't allow foreign companies to operate in China at all. You must form a 51% / 49% partnership where the 51% is a Chinese-owned company.
In practice, the foreign company still exerts control (via contract with the 51% owner) and keeps the profits (via contract with the JV entity).
Worse, they do have different standards for domestic and foreign products.
A) Different standards based on the location of the provider?
B) Different standards based on the location of the consumer?
If you mean (A), then I'm not sure your example supports it, unless you consider Douyin to be a foreign supplier.
If you mean (B), then that's what I'm trying to say: China requires certain things of all companies (irrespective of the location of their controllers or beneficial owners).