It’s good that you point that out. Because it shows US really can’t sanction China and only entities within it like it does to its own allies as opposed to straight country sanctions like Iran and North Korea.

https://www.tradecompliance.pitt.edu/embargoed-and-sanctioned-countries

Here’s a list.

In fairness though, that list also shows the US can’t sanction Russia either. So not sure how much of a flex not being able to sanction China is.

Yes, they can’t operate the website in USA so they’ll operate it in Canada and Mexico. And yes, that’s why they’re targeting the stores and not the site, because the only thing they can do is prevent operations inside the country but they cannot block access to it.

Finally, of course technically Apple could only allow EU to do this, but much like their transition to USB-C it would be weird if they did that. ESPECIALLY since having Tik Tok on their phones would be a benefit to them, not a negative.

*Edit: Also I was defining free speech in my initial post, which you seem to agree with. I was not trying to define this abhorrent loophole of a bill that bans but doesn’t ban because of 1A Tik Tok. And if you don’t understand why the government trying to loophole out of the constitution is bad, well I have no words.

Actually that’s not correct. Media isn’t like other products, it’s protected speech. This is why even though we’ve sanctioned Russia, you can still go and read Russian Times. Even foreign media, which Tik Tok is, would be protected under our free speech laws.

This is why this “ban” isn’t a ban, which the senators keep repeating. It doesn’t block Tik Tok or it’s website from being used by Americans. All it does is block Tik Tok from being distributed by American app stores. So if they don’t divest, you could still go to their website and download their app. With the new EU ruling, Apple is going to have to allow third party installation anyway, so you’ll still be able to use Tik Tok as if nothing happened.

So what’s all this really about? Propaganda and showmanship. They’re just pushing a China bad narrative as realistically our 1A laws prevent them from doing anything actually effective here.

That’s an excellent question because people completely misunderstand freedom of speech. The law is freedom of speech from government persecution. Which is literally what banning Tik Tok is. It’s the government persecuting a company for being Chinese.

What the law does not protect is private persecution. If you come to my house and announce you’re a pedo, I can kick you out of my house for that. Just like tik tok can ban you.

Yup, most of the world has gendered clothing. But this is China, where for decades they rejected that. Their school uniforms still rejects gendered clothing.

https://www.koreaboo.com/stories/chinese-school-uniforms-korean-students-jealous/

It’s only relatively recently come back from Western fashion.

They’re literally trying to fight against what your talking about to such a degree that even your normal concept of gendered clothing is different. And I know that’s hard to wrap your head around, but that’s exactly why I’m saying, it’s not exactly what you think.

*Edit: Let’s look at this from another angle. China has been trying to enforce gender neutral ideas for some time, like gender neutral clothing. All this push for gender equality has lead China to become the home to the most female billionaires in the world.

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/wu-yajun-china-has-two-thirds-of-worlds-self-made-women-billionaires-meet-the-richest-8296901.html

The Chinese government is 25% female.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/239113/sshare-of-women-in-chinese-national-parliament/

So it’s in China’s position that while not great now, by constantly pushing gender neutral laws and trying to prevent sex being displayed in public, they’ll create equality.

As you point out though, that often leads to oppression and other terrible side effects.

I’m saying, I do not believe i personally understand the situation enough to make a judgement call. I just want people to be aware of what’s actually happening and not that it’s some kind of governmental anti-LGBTQ+ push. It’s China trying to be China for better or worse.

I’m sure your being sarcastic, but no. This is China salami slicing. They extend a little bit, tensions flair up, they stop further extending for a while. The world sees it’s not so bad, then they start again and repeat.

Yes, but they are applying it equally. They are banning all mentions of sex, not just queer sex. They are censoring anything that shows too much skin, not just queer dressing. This is why I pointed out them censoring a video game made for kids. Basically they said a leotard was too revealing.

The problem isn’t the enforcement. The problem is the reporting. As society there reports against the LGBTQ more than other ones. Again, that’s not the government doing anything unequal or targeting. Which is why I said it’s not exactly an LGBTQ issue. It becomes one because of the older conservatives.

Again it’s not about LGBTQ. It’s anything to do with dressing different or talking about sex. That’s why boy love films are so popular in China. They dress them in fancy traditional garb and have sexual tension but no kissing or sex. Hell some of them got so popular they got onto Netflix.

Here’s the main Chinese propaganda mouth piece promoting it.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1168331.shtml

Everyone is getting prosecuted equally so no it’s not an LGBTQ issue anymore than breathing is an LGBTQ issue.

I’ve already talked about it. When China doesn’t know what to do they censor everyone. But there are still gay bars and gay pride has gone into dance clubs.

Heres a guide on where to go.

https://www.travelgay.com/beijing-gay-bars-and-clubs

Heck, they censored one of their most popular videos games genshin impact because it was too sexy. They censor straight sex too. In fact you could argue if they didn’t censor gay pride it would be preferential treatment.

Hell your quote literally says it.

Chinese Communist party’s broader crackdown on civil society and freedom of expression.

Yes I did. Here’s a few quotes from that article.

While China has a law against domestic violence, it fails to adequately protect victims, especially LGBTQ+ people, say advocates, with crimes often dismissed as family affairs

And

Li Tingting (left) and Teresa at their wedding reception in Beijing, China, July 2015. Li, 25, a prominent rights activist announced their marriage in an effort to push for LGBTQ rights in China

As well as it gives several examples of abusive families who manipulate the law to attack those who help their children. Like the trans woman who tried to protect the run away trans woman.

I said it’s not good. But it’s not the government pushing this. It straight says so in the article in the quotes I’m posting.

Not that I am OK with how China is dealing with these things, but this is not exactly an LGBTQ+ issue. As per the article, the reasons for the arrests are kidnapping, not any law against being gay. In fact, China has essentially civil unions for gay people who want to be in a recognized relationship.

Ironically, in this case, it’s not a government problem but a societal one. The older generation is very conservative. They set the tone for a lot of censorship. So while your free to be gay or whatever, you can’t talk about it or make media about it. This is to not offend the older generation.

The older generation can inflict immense damage on their children as the article points out. If you disobey your elders like your parents, the police will tend to favor the elders as we see in this article.

As a cultural issue, this has kind of been the case since Confucius times. China is kind of famous for over controlling and overbearing parents. And in this case, the government backs them even if the official policy is to let them be. For example in 2017 China ruled that gay conversion camps illegal. Yet the problem still persists in 2019.

Of course as per usual, when the government doesn’t know what to do, it tries to censor everything and hopes it goes away on its own.

Like I said, not OK with it, but we should all be aware what it is and be aware of biased reporting from the news.

Well, Chinese cities will seem western and modern to you as well. I have family in China also. The media twists everything that’s happening and well, I’m sick of it. I guess in some ways this is just me acting out.

My biggest issue is whenever USA has beef with China for God knows what, Taiwan gets dragged into whatever is going on. Leave us alone, that’s all I want. In this case it’s semiconductors.

The first Taiwan strait crisis was because USA wanted to beat up on China for the Korean war. Second crisis was a continuation of the first one.

The third Taiwan strait crisis was similar to Nancy Pelosi’s visit.

So from my personal point of view, it’s constantly the US stirring up trouble. Not everyone in Taiwan shares my views on this stuff. I’m at this point only talking what I believe.

But we all tend to agree to just keep our freedoms and the status quo.

*Edit I should add I dislike both China and the US and think they’re bullies. They’re bullies who bully each other and uses Taiwan as a flashpoint.

That is correct. Taiwanese people are generally ok with the situation and have what we want so don’t stir the pot. Also, I realize in that post I wrote pro-China. That’s incorrect, both the TPP and KMT are pro-negotiation with China which I am too and I dislike the DPP who wants to disengage. However, technically all parties are against independence.

To add my own personal opinion, I want people to stop talking about war and conflict with China because I think it’s hurting Taiwanese businesses. I believe if we just let things lay and don’t stoke the flames, Taiwan would prosper more.

*Edit: To expand upon my anger at people constantly saying China is going to war with Taiwan, who would invest in a nation that is going to war? It creates a situation where people think twice about investments. Better to keep our status quo and to stop talking about war entirely. Taiwan is free, this election clearly shows what we do and want is up to us. Stoking the flames of war only causes people to want to visit less and invest less. Taiwan is a beautiful place that is wonderful to visit. But if you think missiles are going to be lodged at Taiwan, you’re less likely to be a tourist. This is why I’m on the side of 60% of Taiwanese and with the TPP and KMT, TPP more than KMT but as a third party they get less votes. OK I’m rambling but I think you get it.

Oops, I miswrote, I meant pro-engagement with China.

As to you quote, here’s a more comprehensive article on Ko.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/taiwans-presidential-candidate-ko-wen-je-seeks-a-middle-ground-with-china-attracting-young-voters/ar-AA1mss2T

and here’s what he thinks about the possibility of invasion.

“China doesn’t really wish to attack Taiwan

Your quote is just saying the same thing that Xi says all the time. That a military needs to be ready for war.

Taken out of context constantly in western news. All XI and Ko is saying that we don’t think there will be war, but if it comes to it we need to be prepared.

Here’s citibank telling their investors about it.

https://www.citigroup.com/global/insights/citigps/china-s-inward-turn-

It’s been going on for a while, the article is from 2020.

My personal opinion is this move is highly risky, but could produce massive rewards. We’re in the third year of this and China still suffers from deflation from lack of internal demand matching former exports.

But China seems dead set on this regardless of risks. This is why there are so many China collapsing articles. The actions to do this aren’t great for the economy on a global term, but in the long run may make China more durable. Who knows, this is so different than what everyone is doing it’s kind of uncharted.

KMT isn’t pro-China, nor is TPP. Stop putting words in my mouth. I said KMT is pro-status quo and TPP is pro-engagement. Only the DPP wants to completely veer away from China. There also is no evidence that TPP wants to fight for freedom. I have no idea where you are getting that from. They want diplomacy, not war. I don’t know why you westerners think of everything in terms of violence. It explains a lot why there’s so much violence in the US.

Yup, which is exactly why the Taiwanese wants to keep the status quo and not get into conflict with China. We’re already free, why stir the pot? Who cares what China says about who owns what. Now your getting it.

I have stated nothing but facts. TPP wants to engage China.

https://news.yahoo.com/taiwans-opposition-says-towards-better-052635196.html

KMT wants the status quo.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/from-dove-to-hawk-kmts-transformation-and-the-quest-for-new-guardrails-in-cross-strait-relations/

Instead of refuting facts, the above poster resorted to insults. So yes, I insulted him back.

I expect you too will not refute facts but instead keep insulting me.

What your getting at is in my opinion, the core of the matter. It’s really an issue of shared decisions. Each side is trying to position themselves to get the lion’s share of them. The truth is, regardless of Taiwan and China call themselves one or separate, ultimately it will always be an issue of what decision each side gets to make. In many ways we see that playing out in the US/China relationship as well.

TSMC isn’t really that important. Without TSMC and US interference, China would have just chugged along anyway. And we are seeing even with US interference, China’s plan is to just chug along. It’s the US that keeps bringing up TSMC because as you mentioned, it’s a decision that’s getting more and more out of US’s ability to make decisions on.