Live data from Hacker News

US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

asia.nikkei.com

131–140 of 1001 posts

Re: US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

#131

Some people here are wondering about the implications of this. What this means IMO is that all Chinese investments in SV need to be liquidated at fire sale prices in the next 45 days. Regardless of how people here feel about China this is a huge escalation. The US is inflicting huge losses on Chinese companies for no clear violation of US laws on their part. The pandoras box is now open. Do countries get to do this t…

> Do countries get to do this to each other whenever they feel like it now ?

No, countries get to do this to each other whenever they feel like since the dawn of mankind. "Now" isn't any different.

Re: US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

#132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More importantly, China has acted unilaterally in the past to inflict pain on western companies in preference of domestic firms. What’s new is the US doing it back. Tesla was one of the first US companies to operate with the level of autonomy they have in China. Perhaps there is some retribution from the CCP, but such is the consequence of doing business with a totalitarian state.

Why is this downvoted? It’s true. Everything the US is doing, China has been doing for decades one thousand fold. Whether that’s right or wrong is a different issue.

I’m confused too, this seemed like a normal comment

Re: US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

#133
post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. US companies don’t have to trade with China. But the US banning trade with China is nothing but an attack on Americans and my freedom to trade and communicate.

Try launching your app in China and see how much freedom you have. Regulating international trade (via agreements) is one of the foremost responsibilities of the federal government, and if this move forces them to open up their economy to fair competition it's a net benefit for everyone.

Nobody is forced to do business with China, but you and those who support these policies are forcing me not to do business with China.

Leave me alone.

Re: US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

#134

This is sad, we in the US are losing the little high ground we had and no longer lead by example to bring the world closer together by encouraging free markets and free people. I'm against this protectionist nationalism, it only leads to future conflict.

> no longer lead by example to bring the world closer together by encouraging free markets and free people.

It does not work very well if you are the only nice guy within a group of a--holes. You just end up being beaten up. Free Markets work well if pretty much everyone adopts the same rules of commerce, but China is way beyond that point.

Re: US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More importantly, China has acted unilaterally in the past to inflict pain on western companies in preference of domestic firms. What’s new is the US doing it back. Tesla was one of the first US companies to operate with the level of autonomy they have in China. Perhaps there is some retribution from the CCP, but such is the consequence of doing business with a totalitarian state.

Why is this downvoted? It’s true. Everything the US is doing, China has been doing for decades one thousand fold. Whether that’s right or wrong is a different issue.

Because it's false? Companies are banned in China for not following Chinese laws or directives. Like... how they report on Tiananmen Square, for example.

When you learn a bit more about geopolitics, you realize that there's more to these things than initially appears. Tiananmen Square was pretty bad. But when you look at the utter collapse of Russia after it tried to Westernize, and the poor shape of America because of her own economic policies, someone not living in the Anglo/American news bubble would really have to wonder.

To that end, companies that have an easier time skirting around the dirty politics – like Tesla, Ford, and GM – have been able to have successful and profitable operations in China. As the parent points out, there's a pandora's box that's being opened. And if you are led to believe that it's a normal comment, it's the same nationalistic stuff you've being trained to fall in line with.

Re: US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

#136
post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thats how world wars break out.

I might get downvoted for this but I think it's a very real possibility. Withdraw the embassy from Beijing, recognize Taiwan and force a embargo of all Taiwanese/Korean and Japanese semiconductor supplies and components to Mainland China. Then sit back and let China then make the first move. Might not work, but at this point I wouldn't put it past somebody in the White House having already gamed it. There has never b…

Ending Corporate America’s reliance on Chinese slave labor would create global recession.

Not likely that Trump would inflict even more economic damage during his presidency just before the Election.

Re: US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

#137
post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try launching your app in China and see how much freedom you have. Regulating international trade (via agreements) is one of the foremost responsibilities of the federal government, and if this move forces them to open up their economy to fair competition it's a net benefit for everyone.

Nobody is forced to do business with China, but you and those who support these policies are forcing me not to do business with China. Leave me alone.

How does this move affect your ability to do business with China?

Re: US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

#138
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are your views on IP theft by some companies there. Should that be considered first strike by China.

There is no evidence of IP theft being established against TikTok and ByteDance. Presumably they don't seem to have broken US laws as of now. Do countries take to banning Boeing, if they find problems with PepsiCo?.

No, but they certainly could if it suited their interests. What I find interesting in this thread is this assumption of both proportionality and rationality from the other party. China isn't, and hasn't, followed the same rules as the rest of the West. Why would we expect them to now? Moreover, from a game theoretical perspective it seems suicidal to act like they will, and then do nothing but complain about them "not following the rules".

Re: US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

#139

Some people here are wondering about the implications of this. What this means IMO is that all Chinese investments in SV need to be liquidated at fire sale prices in the next 45 days. Regardless of how people here feel about China this is a huge escalation. The US is inflicting huge losses on Chinese companies for no clear violation of US laws on their part. The pandoras box is now open. Do countries get to do this t…

> Do countries get to do this to each other whenever they feel like it now No, but wake me up when the US does this to another free and open country, rather than one that has a history of aggressively doing this to Western countries.

Alstom[0] and Toshiba[1].

0. A popular narrative in China holds that the US trapped France to sell Alstom in 2014. see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alstom#Acquisition_by_General_... and https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/06/07/an-unlikely-...

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba-Kongsberg_scandal

Re: US to ban transactions with ByteDance and WeChat in 45 days

#140

Instagram Reels is launching at a "convenient" time.. . . ..

I've had a number of tik tok-ers tell me they don't care what app it is. They care about the community and creators, and they will find each other on whatever replaces TT.

I was intrigued by this sentiment, the idea that the conceptual social network is the thing of value, not the application one interacts with it through.

Post reply on HN