Chinese firms search for a new path

THE OUTCOME OF a fractured TikTok underscores the difficult choice facing Chinese technology companies with global aspirations.

- THE NEW YORK TIMES

In the US, they must contend with shifting geopolitical fault lines, drawn-out legal battles and mistrust of any company with Chinese roots.

Alternatively, they could chart a different international path — one with potentially less hassle but without access to the world’s largest economy.

Over the past six years, as TikTok became a flashpoint between China and the US some Chinese tech companies thought they found a blueprint to make themselves more palatable to American officials and investors.

A handful of firms, including TikTok, moved their headquarters out of China to locations like Singapore. Others spent millions on marketing to foster familiarity among American consumers.