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The United States’ House of Representatives approved a bill on March 13 that, should it become law, would require ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns the TikTok app, to sell off its U.S. assets within 180 days or potentially face a ban. This is due to national security concerns, specifically regarding China’s potential access to Americans’ private information through the company.

ByteDance refutes any allegations that it would disclose private data to the Chinese government, despite reports suggesting that this information may be vulnerable.

VOA interviewed Republican Representative Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, who is the chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on state, foreign operations and related programs, and also serves as co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus. They discussed his reasons for supporting the bill and his push for increased military aid to Taiwan, which is a self-governed island that China considers to be a renegade region that must eventually be reunited with the mainland, even if it requires the use of force.

This year commemorates the 45th year since Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act, which details non-diplomatic ties between the United States and Taipei following official recognition of Beijing as the governing body of China. The act stipulates that the U.S. is responsible for equipping Taiwan with the necessary means for self-defense.

This interview has been altered to improve its comprehensibility and conciseness.

The House has recently approved a legislation that mandates ByteDance to sell off TikTok. Do you approve of this measure?

Mario Diaz-Balart, a representative of the United States, confirms that the bill has received widespread support from both political parties. However, there have been many false claims made about the bill, such as it being a ban on TikTok. In reality, the bill aims to ensure that companies are not under the control of the Chinese Communist Party.

Back during the Soviet era, we would never have permitted the Soviet Union to have ownership or control over major networks like ABC, NBC, or CBS in the United States. This was considered a threat to national security. In the current situation, the danger is even more pronounced because the Chinese government not only has access to American homes through platforms like TikTok, but can also gather information from the American public. Because of this, it is necessary for TikTok to be divested. This is the minimum requirement, and if it is met, the app can still operate. However, we cannot allow for an entity with ties to the Chinese Communist Party to have access to sensitive information from American citizens.

According to Washington, there is a widespread agreement that a potential invasion of Taiwan by China could lead to a chain reaction of disastrous consequences for the U.S. What are the key steps that the U.S. needs to take immediately in order to prevent this scenario?

Diaz-Balart stressed that the crucial goal is to prevent China from making rash decisions and acting recklessly by intervening militarily in Taiwan. The best approach to achieve this is to ensure that Taiwan has all the necessary armaments and resources, sending a strong message to China that an invasion of Taiwan would have dire consequences.

VOA: In the previous month, the Biden administration authorized a bundle of military equipment sales to Taiwan. There are concerns among some analysts that this may not effectively address China’s aggressive actions in the region. Do you believe the military sales to Taiwan are enough?

Diaz-Balart suggested that military sales to Taiwan should be expedited, and we need to take a more assertive approach to not only aiding in the transportation and sale of weapons to Taiwan, but also in maintaining our own defense spending to sustain the domestic military industrial sector. Recent events in Ukraine have shown that we are not adequately supporting our industrial base.

Can you share your main observation from your visit to Taiwan after their election in January?

Diaz-Balart praised Taiwan’s strong democracy and assertive press, viewing these as positive attributes. He highlighted meeting with both the incoming and outgoing presidents as well as leaders from other political parties to show support for democracy and freedom. Taiwan is seen as a shining example of these values.

According to VOA, it is widely agreed upon that China poses a significant geopolitical challenge for the United States in the years to come. What should be the United States’ main focus when it comes to addressing this challenge in the present moment?

Diaz-Balart: We need to recognize the seriousness of China’s role in global affairs. It is the largest fascist dictatorship in the world and the wealthiest as well. Their goals are highly ambitious. The recent cyberattacks in the US have been traced back to Communist China. Additionally, thousands of Chinese military-age males crossing the southern border is alarming.

We must make use of all available diplomatic and economic strategies to acknowledge China as a mounting danger to the United States and the global community. This is evident in the concerns of neighboring countries such as the Philippines, India, and Vietnam regarding China’s hostility. The increasing apprehension in the world must be addressed effectively in order to prevent the possibility of war.

As the head of the House Appropriations subcommittee for state, foreign operations, and related programs, what role do you believe agencies such as Voice of America should play in combating propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party?

Diaz-Balart: The Voice of America has been a key player for decades in that cause of freedom and in getting real news, real information to people who don’t have access to it because of censorship. And so I’ve always been a strong supporter of it because of that. I think information is key. The first thing that happens in a dictatorship is that they close the ability for people to get real information, to get real news. And if we can be helpful to have people around the world get real information, real news, not only about what happens around the world but also what even happens in their own country, I think that is a service to humanity.

Adrianna Zhang was a contributor to this report.

Source: voanews.com