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Jacob Fromer

Tencent, the Chinese tech company that owns the chat app WeChat, has tapped into the US Congress’ revolving door and hired several lobbyists to defend it amid the threat of a ban by President Donald Trump.
The new hires include former US representative Ed Royce, a Republican from California who was chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and author of numerous bills targeting China during his 16 years in office.
Royce introduced a powerful sanctions bill in 2017 – the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) – that has been used to punish members of the Chinese military, among others. He also introduced legislation to bolster Taiwan’s defences and international stature.

He served in Congress from 1993 until 2019, after deciding not to run for re-election the previous year.
According to congressional lobbying disclosure forms, Tencent hired Royce and five other former congressional aides this year to represent its interests on Capitol Hill. It also hired the law firm Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison to lobby.
The disclosures were first reported by Politico.
Royce, 68, and his fellow lobbyists are part of the firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP, which has dozens of other companies as clients. “When your business, reputation or industry is on the line,” the firm says on its website.


The Chinese tech company’s hiring spree comes as its premier product, the chat app WeChat, faces a potential ban in the US.
On August 6, Trump issued executive orders declaring that his administration was moving to effectively block WeChat and TikTok – another Chinese-owned social media app – from the US.
Trump has cited national security concerns, including the Chinese government’s unfettered access to American users’ personal data, as a primary reason for the potential ban.


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Tencent Holdings

Tencent hires former US congressman and national security hawk Ed Royce as lobbyist

WeChat, which is owned by Tencent Holdings, has been threatened with a ban in the US. Photo: Bloomberg

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) speaks at "Making AIDS History: A Roadmap for Ending the Epidemic" at the Hart Senate Building on June 14, 2017 in Washington, DC. Paul Morigi/Getty Images/AFP

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TikTok has 100 million active users in the United States. Photo: Reuters

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Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, with US Representative Ed Royce, and US Congresswoman Judy Chu at the Los Angeles Overseas Chinese Banquet on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen speaks in the Los Angeles Overseas Chinese Banquet during visit in Los Angeles, California, U.S. August 12, 2018. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu 

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen waves with guests after speaking in the Los Angeles Overseas Chinese Banquet during visit in Los Angeles, California, U.S. August 12, 2018. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu 

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The Chinese tech company owns WeChat, which is facing a possible ban in the US
Ed Royce, a Republican who was chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was author of numerous bills targeting China during his 16 years in office

