Senator Cotton: Mr. Chew let’s cut straight to the chase. Is TikTok under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party?
Shou Zi Chew: No, Senator, we are part of that business.
Senator Cotton: So, you can say that your parent ByteDance is subject to the 2017 National Security Law, which requires Chinese companies to turn over information to the Chinese government and conceal it from the rest of the world. You can see that, correct? You conceded it earlier.
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, any company that does many global businesses that does business in China has to follow the local laws. Because isn’t
Senator Cotton: Isn’t it the case that ByteDance also has an internal Chinese Communist Party Committee.
Shou Zi Chew: And like I said, all businesses that operate in China have to follow the law.
Senator Cotton: So, your parent company is subject to the national security law that requires it to answer the Party. It has its own internal Chinese Communist Party Committee, you answer to that parent company, but you expect us to believe that you’re not under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
Shou Zi Chew: I understand this concern, Senator, which is why we built Project Texas.
Senator Cotton: You used to work for ByteDance, didn’t you? You were the CFO for ByteDance?
Shou Zi Chew: That is correct, Senator.
Senator Cotton: In April 2021, while you were the CFO, the Chinese Communist Party’s China internet investment fund purchased a 1% stake in ByteDance’s main Chinese subsidiary the ByteDance technology company. In return for that so called 1% golden share, the party took one of three board seats at that subsidiary company. That’s correct, isn’t it?
Shou Zi Chew: It’s for the Chinese business.
Senator Cotton: Is that correct?
Shou Zi Chew: It is for the Chinese.
Senator Cotton: That deal was finalized on April 30, 2021. Isn’t it true that you were appointed the CEO of TikTok the very next day on May 1, 2021?
Shou Zi Chew: Well, it’s a coincidence.
Senator Cotton: It’s a coincidence that you were the CFO, the Chinese Communist Party took its golden share and its board seat, and the very next day you were appointed the CEO of TikTok. That’s a hell of a coincidence.
Shou Zi Chew: It really is, Senator.
Senator Cotton: Yeah, it is. Okay. And before ByteDance, you were at a Chinese company called Xiaomi is that correct? Yes, I used to work around the world. Where did you live when you worked at Jami?
Shou Zi Chew: I lived in China, where many experts–
Senator Cotton: How many years did you live in Beijing?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, I worked there for about five years.
Senator Cotton: So you lived there for five years?
Shou Zi Chew: Yes.
Senator Cotton: Is it the case that Xiaomi was sanctioned by the United States government in 2021, for being a Communist Chinese military company?
Shou Zi Chew: I’m here to talk about TikTok. I think they then had a lawsuit and it was overturned. I can’t remember that.
Senator Cotton: No, it was the Biden administration that reversed those sanctions, just like, by the way, they reversed the terrorist designation on the Houthis in Yemen, how’s that working out for them? But, it was sanctioned as a Chinese communist military company. So you’ve said today, as you often say that you live in Singapore. Of what nation are you a citizen?
Shou Zi Chew: Singapore.
Senator Cotton: Are you a citizen of any other nation?
Shou Zi Chew: No, senator.
Senator Cotton: Have you ever applied for Chinese citizenship?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, I serve my nation in Singapore. No, I did not.
Senator Cotton: Do you have a Singaporean passport?
Shou Zi Chew: Yes. And I served my military for two and a half years.
Senator Cotton: Do you have any other passports from any other nations?
Shou Zi Chew: No, senator.
Senator Cotton: Your wife is an American citizen. Your children are American citizens.
Shou Zi Chew: That’s correct.
Senator Cotton: Have you ever applied for American citizenship?
Shou Zi Chew: No, not yet.
Senator Cotton: Okay. Have you ever been a member of the Chinese Communist Party?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, I’m Singaporean. No.
Senator Cotton: Have you ever been associated or affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party?
Shou Zi Chew: No, Senator, again, I’m Singaporean.
Senator Cotton: Let me ask you some hopefully simple questions. You said earlier, in response to a question, that what happened at Tiananmen Square in June of 1989 was a massive protest. Anything else happen in Tiananmen Square?
Shou Zi Chew: Yes, I think it’s well documented, there was a massacre.
Senator Cotton: There was indiscriminate slaughter of hundreds or thousands of Chinese citizens. Do you agree with the Trump administration and the Biden administration that the Chinese government is committing genocide against the Uyghur people?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, I’ve said this before, I think is really important that anyone who cares about this topic or any topic can freely express it.
Senator Cotton: It’s a very simple question that unites both parties in our country and governments around the world is the Chinese government committing genocide against the Uyghur people.
Shou Zi Chew:Senator, anyone, you can come–
Senator Cotton: You are a worldly, cosmopolitan, well-educated man who has expressed many opinions on many topics. Is the Chinese government committing genocide against the Uyghur people.
Shou Zi Chew: Actually, senator, I talk mainly about my company, and I’m here to talk about what TikTok does.
Senator Cotton: Yes or no, you’re here to give testimony that is truthful and honest and complete. Let me ask you this. Joe Biden last year said that Xi Jinping was a dictator, do you agree with Joe Biden? Is Xi Jinping a dictator?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, I’m not going to comment on any world leaders.
Senator Cotton: Why don’t you answer these very simple questions?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, it’s not appropriate for you to comment on world leaders.
Senator Cotton: Are you scared that you’ll lose your job if you say anything negative about the Chinese Communist Party?
Shou Zi Chew: I disagree with that, you will find content that is critical of China.
Senator Cotton: Next time you go, are you scared that you’ll be arrested and disappear the next time you go to mainland China?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, you will find content is critical of China and any other country freely on TikTok.
Senator Cotton: Okay, okay, let’s turn to TikTok, a tool of the Chinese Communist Party, is doing to America’s youth. Does the the name Mason Edens ring a bell?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, you may have to give me more specifics if you don’t mind.
Senator Cotton: Yeah, he was a 16-year-old Arkansas. After a breakup in 2022, he went on your platform and searched for things like inspirational quotes and positive affirmations. Instead, he was served up numerous videos glamorizing suicide until he killed himself by gun. What about the name Chase Nasca? Does that ring a bell? Would you mind giving me more details, please? He was a 16 year old who saw more than 1000 videos on your platform about violence and suicide until he took his own life by stepping in front of train. Are you aware that his parents, Dean and Michelle, are suing TikTok and ByteDance for pushing their son to take his own life?
Shou Zi Chew: Yes, I’m aware of that.
Senator Cotton: Okay. Finally, Mr. Chew, has the Federal Trade Commission sued TikTok during the Biden administration?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, I cannot talk about–
Senator Cotton: Are you currently being sued by the Federal Trade Commission?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, I cannot talk about any potential lawsuits.
Senator Cotton: I didn’t say potential, I said actual, are you being sued by the Federal Trade Commission?
Shou Zi Chew
Senator, I think I’ve given you my answer.
Senator Cotton: The answer is no. Ms. Yaccarino’s company is being sued, I believe. Mr. Zuckerberg’s company is being sued I believe. Yet, TikTok, the agent of the Chinese Communist Party, is not being sued by the Biden administration. Are you familiar with the name Cristina Caffarra?
Shou Zi Chew: You may have to give me more details.
Senator Cotton: Cristina Caffarra was a paid advisor to ByteDance, your communist influenced parent company. She was then hired by the Biden FTC, to advise on how to sue Mr. Zuckerberg’s company.
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, ByteDance is a global company, not a Chinese company, it’s owned by global investors.
Senator Cotton: Public reports indicate that your lobbyists visited the White House more than 40 times in 2022. How many times did your company’s lobbyists visit the White House last year?
Shou Zi Chew: I don’t know that, Senator?
Senator Cotton: Are you aware that the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee is on your platform. They have TikTok accounts?
Shou Zi Chew: Senator, we encourage people to come on–
Senator Cotton: Which, by the way, they let their staffers use their personal phones. They give them separate phones that they only use TikTok on.
Shou Zi Chew: We encourage everyone to join–
Senator Cotton: So, all these companies are being sued by the FTC. You’re not. The FTC has a former paid advisor, your parent, talking about how they can sue Mr. Zuckerberg’s company. Joe Biden’s reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee is on your platform. Let me ask you: Have you or anyone else at TikTok communicated with or coordinated with the Biden administration, the Biden campaign, or the Democratic National Committee to influence the flow of information on your platform?
Shou Zi Chew: We work with anyone, any creators who want to use a campaign this is all the same process.
Senator Cotton: So, what we have here we have a company that is a tool of the Chinese Communist Party that is poisoning the minds of America’s children, in some cases driving them to suicide, and that at best the Biden administration is taking a pass on at worst may be in collaboration with. Thank you, Mr. Chew.
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