Shein and Temu the latest China tech targets in Congress body’s sights

As the US becomes increasingly wary of China’s growing influence on the Western tech stage, internet platforms from TikTok to Shein are finding themselves in Washington’s sights.

As a Chinese saying goes: the first bird that pokes its head out gets shot. In recent months, lawmakers in the US have escalated efforts to ban TikTok. In December, the US House of Representatives ordered its staff and lawmakers to delete the video app from their government-issued mobile. A broader restriction appears to be looming after the app’s CEO Shou Zi Chew went through five hours of grilling questions before Congress in late March.

Now Temu and Shein, two fast-growing ecommerce platforms that leverage China’s efficient supply chains to ship affordable goods to American consumers, are facing heightened scrutiny from Washington.

The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), a government organ created by Congress to report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the two countries, published a report detailing the “challenges” presented by Chinese fast fashion platforms.