The TikTok ban and the geopolitical tightrope

While the TikTok risk may be unacceptable, what does it mean for trade relations between NZ and China? (Image: Getty)

Wed, 22 Mar 2023

The banning of TikTok on parliamentary service devices will have no impact on trade between New Zealand and China, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – but it may not be so simple.TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance and while some say there is little difference between a social media platform owned by a US-based company and one owned by a China-based company, others say that the Chinese government’s power over the private sector makes the app a risk to national security.The move, which was announced on M...

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