Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said Wednesday that it was a “tremendous coincidence” that Sho Zhi Chu became CEO of TikTok the day after brokering the deal with China.
Cotton spoke during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation, which includes major technology companies such as Facebook, Snapchat, Discord, X, and TikTok.
During the hearing, Cotton pointed to TikTok’s strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Cotton said Shou Zi Chew previously served as chief financial officer of ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company. He also pointed out that in 2021, when TikTok was ByteDance’s CFO, the China Internet Investment Fund, an investment fund of the Chinese government, acquired a “1 percent stake” in the ByteDance technology company.
“Is that correct that in exchange for that 1 percent golden share, the party won one of three seats on the subsidiary’s board of directors?” Cotton asked.
“Yes, for our China business,” the TikTok CEO replied.
“The deal was signed on April 30, 2021. Isn’t it true that the next day, May 1, 2021, you were appointed CEO of TikTok?”
TikTok’s CEO said, “This is a coincidence.”
“It’s just a coincidence,” Cotton said.
“TikTok’s CEO today dodged a simple question about his relationship with TikTok and the Chinese Communist Party. Shou Chu knows that anyone, especially senior executives at Chinese companies, can collaborate with the Chinese Communist Party.” wrote Cotton.
TikTok’s CEO today dodged a simple question about his relationship with the Chinese Communist Party.
Shou Chu knows that anyone, especially senior executives of Chinese companies, can collaborate with Chinese communists. pic.twitter.com/AHYhFEVdvw
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 31, 2024
Cotton added: “TikTok’s parent company ByteDance will have to submit data on Americans requested by the Chinese Communist Party.” But TikTok’s CEO wants Americans to believe that the app is safe. He is lying and should be banned from TikTok. ”
TikTok’s parent company ByteDance has been asked to hand over data on Americans requested by the Chinese Communist Party.
But TikTok’s CEO wants Americans to believe that the app is safe.
He is lying and should be banned from TikTok. pic.twitter.com/Q49VHwvhLZ
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 31, 2024
Sean Moran is a policy reporter at Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
