China's New Tech Export Controls Could Give Beijing a Say in Tiktok Sale

FILE PHOTO: TikTok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration taken November 27, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
FILE PHOTO: TikTok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration taken November 27, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
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China's New Tech Export Controls Could Give Beijing a Say in Tiktok Sale

FILE PHOTO: TikTok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration taken November 27, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
FILE PHOTO: TikTok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration taken November 27, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

China’s new rules around tech exports mean ByteDance’s sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations could need Beijing’s approval, a Chinese trade expert told state media, a requirement that would complicate the forced and politically charged divestment.

ByteDance has been ordered by President Donald Trump to divest short video app TikTok - which is challenging the order - in the US amid security concerns over the personal data it handles.

Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Oracle Corp (ORCL.N) are among the suitors for the assets, which also includes TikTok’s Canada, New Zealand and Australia operations.

However, China late on Friday revised a list of technologies that are banned or restricted for export for the first time in 12 years and Cui Fan, a professor of international trade at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said the changes would apply to TikTok, Reuters reported.

“If ByteDance plans to export related technologies, it should go through the licensing procedures,” Cui said in an interview with Xinhua published on Saturday.

China’s Ministry of Commerce added 23 items - including technologies such as personal information push services based on data analysis and artificial intelligence interactive interface technology - to the restricted list.

It can take up to 30 days to obtain preliminary approval to export the technology.

TikTok’s secret weapon is believed to be its recommendation engine that keeps users glued to their screens. This engine, or algorithm, powers TikTok’s “For You” page, which recommends the next video to watch based on an analysis of your behavior.

Cui noted that ByteDance’s development overseas had relied on its domestic technology that provided the core algorithm and said the company may need to transfer software codes or usage rights to the new owner of TikTok from China to overseas.

“Therefore, it is recommended that ByteDance seriously studies the adjusted catalogue and carefully considers whether it is necessary to suspend” negotiations on a sale, he added.



Saudi KAUST’s Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy Advances Energy Innovation

KAUST has leveraged the center’s research to boost energy security, reduce environmental impact, create new job opportunities for youth, and continue advancing education, training, and workforce development. (SPA)
KAUST has leveraged the center’s research to boost energy security, reduce environmental impact, create new job opportunities for youth, and continue advancing education, training, and workforce development. (SPA)
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Saudi KAUST’s Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy Advances Energy Innovation

KAUST has leveraged the center’s research to boost energy security, reduce environmental impact, create new job opportunities for youth, and continue advancing education, training, and workforce development. (SPA)
KAUST has leveraged the center’s research to boost energy security, reduce environmental impact, create new job opportunities for youth, and continue advancing education, training, and workforce development. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), through its Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies (CREST), has launched initiatives to support innovation in energy fields, in alignment with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to transition toward a knowledge-based economy and build sustainable development.

These efforts include transforming new ideas into practical solutions, developing prototypes of KAUST inventions and ensuring their reliability, and scaling up these prototypes through collaboration with local and international partners, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Monday.

KAUST has leveraged the center’s research to boost energy security, reduce environmental impact, create new job opportunities for youth, and continue advancing education, training, and workforce development.

These steps aim to support and localize renewable energy research, boost academic and industrial collaboration, and position the center as a leading research hub and a preferred destination for students, researchers, and faculty members.

CREST Chair Professor Husam Alshareef stressed that the center’s research, focused on prototype development and technology scaling, enhances energy efficiency, reliability, storage, and sustainability.

Many projects are based on innovative technologies developed at KAUST in cooperation with industrial partners. These include advanced photovoltaic cells and new battery chemistries that reduce cooling requirements and fire risks in harsh conditions, as well as lithium extraction and battery recycling to ensure a stable lithium supply and enhance the Kingdom’s battery sector, he added.

The center conducts research on sustainable cooling technologies aimed at improving the performance of electronic devices such as solar panels and LED lights, thereby extending their lifespan, he went on to say.

Additional research includes storing energy in chemical fuels and generating electricity, testing and modeling energy storage technologies, and integrating them across disciplines within the university by merging research strategies involving experts in chemistry, engineering, and software development, he revealed.