Emmanuel Macron on Thursday judged the Chinese network TikTok as “astonishingly naive”, highly politically regulated by Beijing, and claimed it was broadcasting “hidden Russian propaganda”.
“This network is confusingly naive. They have 10,000 very well-trained guys pushing content. They know very well what you like (…) they push really well-made things that are much more innovative than American ones”, he estimated during this trip to Fontaine-le-Comte, near Poitiers (Vienne). “Behind there is a real addiction” of young people.
The head of state himself has a TikTok account with 3.2 million subscribers. Fighting bullying, autism awareness, health: he has posted several videos on this network, which is very popular among teenagers.
Chinese censorship?
On TikTok, “I challenge you to find content about what is happening in Xinjiang or not,” denounced the head of state, referring to the repression and forced labor of the Uyghurs in this northeastern Chinese province.
Emmanuel Macron made these statements during a visit on board a bus that meets young people from all over the Vienne department to answer their questions and needs, particularly in the field of health.
This trip was part of a territorial session of the National Refoundation Council (CNR) on health.
The CNR, started by Emmanuel Macron, brings together elected officials, professionals, unions and associations to reform France through consultation. It is boycotted by the opposition that sees it for the Head of State as a way to bypass the Assembly where it no longer has an absolute majority.
Accompanied by the Minister of Health, François Braun, and the Secretary General of the CNR, François Bayrou, the Head of State once again praised the merits of the ideas resulting from the consultation and, therefore, coming from below, and not dictated for “circular”.
Source: BFM TV
