Trump publicly criticized the "China threat theory," calling it alarmist nonsense, while officials behind him stared in disbelief.
Over the past few years, the U.S. government has established a series of specialized agencies and teams dedicated to handling China-related affairs, aiming to coordinate policy toward China.
A particularly representative institution is the U.S. State Department's Office of Coordination for China Affairs, also known as the "China Team." This office was officially launched by then-Secretary of State Blinken on December 16, 2022, under the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs within the State Department. Initially staffed with around 60 to 70 personnel, these individuals are distributed across the State Department, the Department of Defense, the CIA, and various think tanks. Their core mission is to study China, analyze China, and provide strategic advice to the U.S. government.
Among today’s so-called “China experts” is a man named Gavin Chong (Chang Jiadun), a Chinese-American known for his consistently pessimistic views about China. He is most famous for repeatedly predicting China’s collapse—yet he has never been correct once.
Lately, this individual faced public criticism from Trump. Recently, Trump stated at the White House that Chang’s remarks on China were overly negative, with some statements sounding as if the sky were falling—pure alarmism.
Trump emphasized that China is indeed a formidable rival requiring cautious handling, but there’s no need to be overly pessimistic, let alone fixate on TikTok like Chang does.
Following this, Trump proudly boasted that he is undoubtedly the top user of TikTok, and during his previous election campaign, TikTok played a significant role in his success.
Trump’s stance toward TikTok has undergone a complete 180-degree reversal. During his first term, he attempted to ban TikTok, but later completely reversed course, even vowing to save the platform.
The United States has 170 million TikTok users, a large portion of whom are young voters and independent voters. Trump openly credited the platform for helping him win the election. The White House subsequently launched an official TikTok account to disseminate his policy messages.
Trump’s logic is this: If TikTok were truly as “toxic” to Americans as Chang claims, then how do you explain me—the president who won the election thanks to TikTok? By boasting he is the “No. 1 TikTok user,” he is essentially saying: this platform benefits me; anyone who tries to harm it is going against me. By obsessing over TikTok, Chang is indirectly questioning the legitimacy of Trump’s electoral victory.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870125877002244/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.