The German chancellor himself downplayed the new campaign on another social media channel
Berlin, Germany:
German Chancellor Olaf Schulz opened a TikTok account on Monday, promising that he would not be caught dancing on the social media platform popular with young people.
Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said in a statement that the latest official government channel “increases the information available to citizens, who are increasingly informed on TikTok themselves and discuss politics.”
Herbestreit said the account would “give people a behind-the-scenes look at the day-to-day life of government.”
The German chancellor himself downplayed the new campaign on another social media channel.
“I can’t dance. I promised you that,” Scholz said on X .
I don’t dance. accepted. #Tik Tok
— Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (@Federal Chancellor) April 8, 2024
His first TikTok video, set to a teasing bassoon melody, visited the prime minister’s office and then showed Scholz sitting at his desk.
Scholz becomes the latest Western leader to join a Chinese social media platform despite widespread security concerns and concerns about disinformation.
US President Joe Biden opened an account in February ahead of the US presidential election to appeal to young voters.
However, Biden’s presence on the channel did not stop him from raising concerns about the platform’s ownership in a call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this month.
Herbestreit said it was “accidental” that the account was opened days before Scholz’s visit to China this weekend.
He also noted that Scholz’s office spent some time evaluating the platform before signing on.
Western officials have expressed alarm at TikTok’s popularity among young people, claiming it is subservient to Beijing and a conduit for spreading propaganda, a claim both the company and Beijing deny.
The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill last month that would force TikTok to spin off from Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
