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European Commission Investigates TikTok for Alleged Interference in Romanian Election

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The European Commission has launched a formal investigation under its robust digital laws to examine TikTok’s alleged involvement in undermining the integrity of Romania’s recent presidential election. The electoral process in this EU and NATO member state was disrupted amid claims of “aggressive hybrid action” by Russia, aimed at subverting the first round of voting in November.

Romania’s constitutional court recently annulled the first round of the election just before the scheduled run-off. The initial round had unexpectedly been won by far-right candidate Calin Georgescu. Authorities have focused on TikTok, a Chinese-owned social media platform with growing influence in Europe, as a central figure in the controversy.

Georgescu’s unexpected rise to prominence was largely credited to a viral campaign on TikTok, which brought him into the limelight. Romanian officials promptly noted that this campaign did not adhere to electoral regulations. The European Commission now suspects that TikTok’s “recommender systems” may have been vulnerable to “coordinated inauthentic manipulation or automated exploitation.”

Additionally, the Commission is scrutinizing TikTok’s policies on political advertising and paid content, following reports that influencers were compensated to promote Georgescu without proper disclosure of sponsorship or political motivation.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen commented, “Following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections by using TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok has violated the Digital Services Act by failing to tackle such risks. It should be crystal clear that in the EU all online platforms, including TikTok, must be held accountable.”

This investigation is part of the Digital Services Act, a comprehensive regulation aimed at overseeing the operations of online platforms, which came into effect last year. TikTok has previously faced several investigations under this legislation and has made efforts to comply with its requirements. Last week, the Commission ordered TikTok to retain data related to the election collected between November this year and March next year for potential future investigations.

During a European Parliament hearing on December 3, TikTok representatives defended their practices. Brie Pegum, TikTok’s global head of product, authenticity, and transparency, stated that in the three months leading up to the Romanian election, the platform had removed over 66,000 fake accounts, 7 million fake likes, and prevented an additional 40 million fake likes. TikTok also removed 10 million fake followers, blocked 216,000 spam accounts, and eliminated 1,000 accounts impersonating Romanian political candidates.

Pegum also mentioned that TikTok had shut down two clusters of accounts supporting candidates, including Georgescu, for not complying with rules that require political content to be clearly labeled. Caroline Greer, TikTok’s top lobbyist in Europe, addressed concerns about user data potentially being transmitted to China. She highlighted TikTok’s Project Clover, which ensures that European user data is stored within Europe and monitored by a third-party cybersecurity firm 24/7.

Declassified intelligence from outgoing President Klaus Iohannis revealed that paid support for Georgescu on TikTok was not marked as election-related content, unlike the content for other candidates. One TikTok account reportedly spent $381,000 in a single month from October 24 to pay influencers supporting Georgescu.

Authorities also reported over 85,000 attempts to hack electoral data systems before and on the day of the first round, attributing these efforts to “state-sponsored actors.” 

Since the election’s annulment, media reports indicate that influencers allegedly involved in the manipulation fled Romania as tax authorities began to pursue them. According to Politico, some influencers posted farewell messages near land borders or on airplanes, signaling their departure before financial investigations began.

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Chinese National with Ties to British Prince Suspected of Espionage

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A Chinese national with close ties to Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing and rejected claims that he is a spy after being named in court as a suspected Chinese agent by British authorities. Yang Tengbo, identified in a recent ruling by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) as a “close confidant” of Andrew, waived his right to anonymity on Monday to address the allegations. 

“I have done nothing wrong or unlawful, and the concerns raised by the Home Office against me are ill-founded,” said Tengbo in the statement, that his lawyer released. He also mentioned that a very common description of him – “spy”- is “entirely untrue.”

In a letter from July 2023, cited in the SIAC ruling, the UK’s Home Office informed Yang that they had reason to believe he was “engaging, or had previously engaged, in covert and deceptive activities on behalf of the United Front Work Department (UFWD), a branch of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) state apparatus.” The ruling indicated that evidence from Yang’s phone showed Prince Andrew had authorized him to establish an international financial initiative aimed at engaging potential partners and investors in China. However, the ruling did not clarify the specific purpose of the fund.

British intelligence agency MI5 has been investigating the money Andrew has been receiving from China, while The Times has stated that Prince Andrew has previously invited Yang Tengbo to several monarchic belongings, such as Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, and Windsor Castle.

Yang, who lived between the UK and China for nearly 20 years, ran the Duke of York’s PitchatPalace in China. Court documents show he was also authorized to act on Prince Andrew’s behalf in business dealings in China. He has been pictured with two former Conservative prime ministers, Theresa May and David Cameron, and is known to have met other politicians, including former deputy prime minister John Prescott.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis has said that a planned overhaul of security laws, which would require individuals working for foreign governments to disclose this or face criminal charges, won’t be ready until the summer of 2025. His Conservative predecessor, Tom Tugendhat, added that MI5 had warned the government the new law would be ineffective unless China was identified as the top security threat.

On Monday, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry stated that China had always been transparent and never engaged in deception or interference. The spokesperson dismissed the accusations as “groundless speculation” not worth addressing.

 In an early Tuesday statement, the Chinese embassy in London urged the UK to “immediately cease creating trouble, stop anti-China political manipulation, and refrain from undermining normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK.”

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EU Imposes Sweeping Sanctions on Russia and China

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On December 16, the European Union adopted a new package of sanctions against Russia. This is the 15th package of sanctions that the EU has adopted since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This package focuses on suppressing Russia’s shadow fleet and actions to circumvent sanctions. This new sanctions package includes lists of people and entities linked to the Russian military-industrial complex. The main goal is to legally protect EU Central Securities Depositories.

The significance of this particular package lies in the fact that the European Union, for the first time in its existence, has imposed comprehensive, full-fledged sanctions on several Chinese actors, including a travel ban, asset freezes, and a ban on access to economic resources.

The 15th package of sanctions added 52 more ships to the existing 27, which were trying to bypass Western sanctions to transport weapons, oil, and grain.  

Moreover, 84 new individuals and entities were added to the already sanctioned individuals, “responsible for actions undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine”. 7 of these sanctioned people are Chinese, „namely one individual and two entities facilitating the circumvention of EU sanctions, and four entities supplying sensitive drone components and microelectronic component to the Russian military“ industry to support Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, said the statement EU has released.   

As the EU diplomat announced, this is a clear message to China that the EU takes the current situation very seriously.

This package also adds 32 new companies to the list of those supporting Russia’s military and industrial complex during the war in Ukraine. Seven of those companies are under Chinese/ Hong Kong jurisdiction.

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Navarro Warns China: Currency Manipulation Could Lead to Escalating Tariffs

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In response to a Reuters report that suggested Chinese officials were thinking about letting the yuan depreciate next year, a senior trade adviser to President-elect Donald Trump told Reuters on Thursday that the next government would not look “fondly” on any attempt by China to manipulate its currency. 

As stated by Peter Navarro, Trump’s incoming senior adviser for manufacturing and trade, the White House will not obstruct the Treasury Department’s biennial review investigating currency manipulation by foreign trading partners. “But I don’t think the Trump Treasury Department would be very fond of Chinese currency manipulation,” he continued. China’s currency manipulation history is widely recognized. 

For the first time since 1994, the U.S. government declared China a currency manipulator in 2019, during Trump’s administration. The following year, the decision was annulled.  

While this move is more symbolic than substantive, it would nevertheless demonstrate that Trump plans on launching an unprecedented trade war with the second-largest economy in the world, as he frequently promised throughout the campaign.  The 2019 action came at a time when the Chinese government allowed the value of its currency to decline in relation to the US dollar. 

Instead of waiting for the biannual Treasury report, Navarro, who was also an economic adviser during Trump’s first term, stated that if China devalues its currency, Trump may decide to further increase tariffs.  

As Navarro said, “There’s appropriate remedies there,” “If (Trump) didn’t want to wait for any report, he could just raise tariffs higher.”

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Illegitimate Parliament Set to Elect President in Violation of Constitutional Deadlines

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The unfolding political drama in Georgia reaches new heights of lawlessness as the illegitimate parliament prepares to elect the country’s president on December 14. Not only does this act arise from a body lacking legitimacy, but the election itself flagrantly violates constitutional deadlines and established legal procedures.

The move, orchestrated by “puppet master1” echoes previous attempts to subvert democratic processes, such as the parliamentary session convened before the Constitutional Court’sruling.

The Georgian Constitution (Article 50) clearly stipulates that “the President of Georgia is elected for a term of five years, without debate, by open voting by the electoral college.”
Furthermore, the organic law—defined as the Election Code of Georgia—establishes the procedural framework for presidential elections in Chapter XI, titled “Elections of the

President of Georgia.” Specifically, the Election Code mandates that the presidential election must occur within 45 days after the first session of the newly elected parliament. As the parliament’s inaugural session took place on November 25, the constitutionally valid deadline for the election would be January 9, 2025. Scheduling the election for December 14 not only shortens this timeline without justification but also disrupts key procedures enshrined in the Election Code.

The Legal Violations

1. Election Deadlines Ignored

According to Article 97 of the Election Code, presidential candidates must be nominated at least 30 days before the election and only after the composition of the electoral college is approved. This means that for a December 14 election, the deadline for nominating candidates would have been November 15. However, by November 15, the Central Election Commission (CEC) had not even published the summary minutes of the parliamentary elections (released on November 16).

2. Exceptional Cases Clause Misused

The Election Code (Article 14.1.c) allows the CEC to modify deadlines only in “exceptional cases” where it is impossible to meet the requirements of the law. Such decisions require detailed documentation justifying the circumstances that made adherence to the deadlines unfeasible. In this instance, no such explanation was provided.

3. Irregular Candidate Nomination Process

The CEC approved the electoral college’s composition on December 2, yet a presidential candidate was nominated on November 27—five days before the electoral college’s official formation. This premature nomination contravenes the Election Code. Additionally, the CEC has failed to publish the required documentation, including the formal notice of candidate nomination signed by at least 30 members of the electoral college. ​

The “puppet master” Strikes Again

This blatant disregard for constitutional and legal norms highlights a disturbing pattern of authoritarian manipulation. The same “puppet master” that orchestrated prior unconstitutional parliamentary sessions has now branded the presidential election process with similar illegitimacy.

Georgia’s democratic institutions and constitutional order are being systematically undermined. This latest transgression demonstrates that the illegitimate parliament is not only willing to consolidate power by any means necessary but is also unashamedly disregarding the rule of law.

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China Considers Weaker Currency to Combat US Tariff Risks 

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China’s top leaders and policymakers are considering allowing the yuan to weaken in 2025, anticipating higher U.S. trade tariffs as Donald Trump returns to the White House. The contemplated move reflects China’s need for a larger economic stimulus to counter Trump’s threats of punitive trade measures, according to sources familiar with the matter. Trump has announced plans to impose a “10% universal import tariff” and a “60% tariff on Chinese imports into the United States.”

Allowing the yuan to depreciate could make Chinese exports cheaper, mitigating the impact of tariffs and creating looser monetary settings in mainland China. This strategy is not new; China has a history of competitive devaluation to offset tariff impacts. In 2019, the U.S. Department of the Treasury labeled the country a “currency manipulator.”

Financial News, the PBOC’s (People’s Bank of China) publication, released an article stating that the foundation for a “basically stable” yuan exchange rate remains “solid,” and the yuan is likely to stabilize and strengthen towards the end of this year. Allowing the yuan to depreciate next year would deviate from the usual practice of maintaining a stable foreign exchange rate, according to the sources. 

While the central bank is unlikely to state it will no longer uphold the currency, it will emphasize giving markets more power in deciding the yuan’s value, one source said. 

During Trump’s first term, the yuan weakened more than 12% against the dollar amid tit-for-tat tariff announcements between March 2018 and May 2020. A weaker yuan could help China’s economy achieve its challenging 5% growth target and relieve deflationary pressures by boosting export earnings and making imported goods more expensive.

“To be fair, it is a policy option. Currency adjustments are on the table as a tool to mitigate the effects of tariffs,” said economist Fred Neumann. However, he cautioned that aggressive currency devaluation could lead to a “tariff cascade” as other nations impose import restrictions on Chinese goods in response.

Analysts forecast the yuan to fall to 7.37 per dollar by the end of next year, though much depends on the extent and speed of Trump’s tariff increases. The currency has lost nearly 4% of its value against the dollar since the end of September as investors prepare for a Trump presidency.

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Russian official Medvedev visits China

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Dimitry Medvedev, a senior Russian security official, arrived in Beijing for a two-day visit to engage in discussions with Chinese leaders, Russian news agencies reported late Tuesday.

Medvedev, who serves as the deputy chairman of Russia’s influential Security Council, is visiting as part of the growing relationship between Moscow and Beijing. Both nations have committed to strengthening their “no limits” partnership, which was declared in February 2022, shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In October, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov also visited Beijing. Both parties described his meetings as focusing on “substantive” defense and military discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral ties.

Medvedev, a former Russian president, has become one of the most outspoken defenders of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine. Last month, he cautioned the United States to take President Vladimir Putin’s adjustment to Russia’s military doctrine seriously, given Ukraine’s use of Western missiles to target sites within Russian territory.

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New Challenges for China’s Economy Amid Rising U.S. Tariffs

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China, the world’s second-largest economy, is facing new challenges. Weeks before the Trump administration returns to the White House and implements new trade tariffs, Chinese exports grew at a slower pace in November than in the previous month, while imports also fell.

Outbound shipments grew by just 6.7% last month, below the 8.5% increase expected by economists and down from 12.7% in October. More worryingly, imports dropped by 3.9%, the worst performance in nine months and far worse than the expected 0.3% rise. This has fueled calls for more government action to support domestic demand.

Donald Trump, the US President-elect, announced on November 26 that he would impose an additional 10% tariff on products imported from China because Beijing had not fulfilled its promise to severely punish anyone who facilitated the smuggling of fentanyl and drugs from China into the United States through Mexico. Trump has also said he might impose tariffs of over 60% on Chinese goods.

China is also facing the threat of opening a second front in the trade war due to the 45.3% tariffs imposed by the European Union on Chinese-made electric cars.

Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, stated, that  “Early signs of trade frontloading in anticipation of Trump’s tariffs next year have started to emerge, but the full impact will not be felt until the coming months, especially December and January“.

U.S. tariffs are becoming an even bigger challenge for China now compared to during Donald Trump’s first term. The Chinese economy, worth $19 trillion, relies heavily on exports, but with the ongoing property crisis hurting household and business confidence, exports are under pressure. While manufacturers reported better business conditions in November, indicating some effect from government stimulus, they also noted a drop in export orders.

This has led experts to urge China to move away from an over-reliance on manufacturing and exports. Some government advisors suggest maintaining a growth target of around 5% for next year, with more aggressive stimulus measures aimed at boosting domestic consumption to offset the impact of U.S. tariffs.

In response to these challenges, the central bank launched its largest monetary easing since the pandemic in September, cutting interest rates and injecting $140 billion into the economy. China also saw a drop in imports of commodities like vegetable oils and rare earths, though prices for some, like crude oil and copper, rose.

 Key policymakers are set to meet soon to discuss priorities for 2025, and investors are keen to see if Beijing will shift its focus towards strengthening the consumer sector, which could drive future growth. Economists expect imports to pick up in the coming months as fiscal policies are likely to stimulate demand for industrial commodities.

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