US-China Series, in conjunction with WSCRC, hosted a panel on the ban of WeChat. We will discuss the rationale, consequences, legalities, and practicalities of the ban and what this means for users and the parent company Tencent.

For all the attention that the proposed Tik Tok ban garnered with President Trump’s Executive Order on August 6th, the issues for corporate America, for Americans with connections to China as well as the for Chinese diaspora in the US run much deeper if they face restrictions on the use of WeChat, arguably, the world’s most influential app. With a user base of more than 1.2 billion people globally, it is omnipresent in China. For any company, domestic or foreign, operating in China, it is central to any marketing/commercial strategy. Craig Allen, President of the USChina Business Council, summed up the concerns of American companies by stating to the Wall Street Journal, “For those who don’t live in China, they don’t understand how vast the implications are if American companies aren’t allowed to use it...they are going to be held at a severe disadvantage to every competitor.”

Paul is joined by Kevin Shimota a former WeChat executive and Nelson Dong, the Chair of the National Security Law practice and co-Chair of the Asia-Pacific practice of international law firm Dorsey and Whitney. Man Wang of WSCRC is the moderator.