TikTok CEO Faces Backlash After Heated Exchange With Senator Over Nationality Assumptions
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U.S. Senator Tom Cotton aggressively questioned TikTok's Singaporean CEO Shou Chew about his nationality and alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party during a congressional hearing.
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Cotton's questioning was criticized by some as ignorant and racist, failing to recognize Singapore's distinct national identity and multiethnic population.
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Many young Singaporeans do not culturally identify with China despite the majority of the population being ethnically Chinese.
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The heated exchange drew reactions on social media, with Singaporeans mocking Cotton's assumptions about Chew's background based on his ethnicity.
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Cotton continued to double down on his questioning after the hearing, claiming that Singapore has a high degree of Chinese Communist Party infiltration.