National

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will tell lawmakers Thursday that banning the app in the U.S. would hurt American businesses and the country's economy, according to newly released remarks prepared for his testimony before Congress.

Driving the news: The Biden administration has warned the firm that it faces a ban in the United States if its parents company, ByteDance, doesn't sell its stake in the U.S. version of the app amid national security concerns, per Axios' Sara Fischer and Ashley Gold.

What he's saying: "We do not believe that a ban that hurts American small businesses, damages the country's economy, silences the voices of over 150 million Americans, and reduces competition in an increasingly concentrated market is the solution to a solvable problem," Chew states in the prepared testimony, released by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Tuesday night.

"Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country. ... Rather, our approach has been to work transparently and cooperatively with the U.S. government and Oracle to design robust solutions to address concerns about TikTok’s heritage," Chew continues.

"We also look forward to partnering with the Committee on developing clear, consistent rules for the entire industry."

The big picture: China's ruling Communist Party has said there's no evidence that TikTok threatens national security.

But FBI director Chris Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier this month that Beijing has the ability to control the software on millions of devices due to its relationship with ByteDance.

More than a dozen countries have introduced full, partial or public sector bans on TikTok due to national security concerns.

Of note: Chew posted a video on TikTok filmed in Washington, D.C., earlier Tuesday ahead of his congressional appearance to say he's "super excited to announce" that the platform has over 150 million users in the U.S.

"That's almost half the U.S. coming to TikTok to connect, to create, to share, to learn, or just to have some fun," Chew said. "This includes 5 million businesses that use TikTok to reach their customers. And the majority of these are small and medium businesses."

He appealed directly to TikTok users in the video, saying: "Some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok. This could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you."

What we're watching: In his prepared remarks, Chew pledged to keep TikTok's American users safe by making four key commitments:

"We will keep safety — particularly for teenagers — a top priority for us;

"We will firewall protected U.S. user data from unauthorized foreign access;

"Tiktok will remain a platform for free expression and will not be manipulated by any government; 

"We will be transparent and give access to third-party independent monitors, to remain accountable for our commitments."

Go deeper: The political realities that make a national TikTok ban tricky

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

TikTok CEO to tell Congress app ban would hurt U.S. economy

"ByteDance is not an agent of China," he said of TikTok's parent company in his testimony.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Washington, D.C., in February. Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

TikTok

China

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

Axios World

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered Russian President Vladimir Putin a significant show of solidarity by visiting Moscow this week, but offered no indications he's prepared to step up Chinese support for Putin's war in Ukraine.

Driving the news: In a joint appearance after several hours of talks on Tuesday, Xi described China's approach to Ukraine as "unbiased" and "impartial." Putin praised the ceasefire plan Xi proposed last month but said Ukraine and the West weren't "ready" for peace talks.

China's plan doesn't call for Russia to leave the territories of Ukraine it annexed last fall. Secretary of State Tony Blinken argued Monday that a ceasefire on such terms "would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest."

Despite Xi's claim of neutrality, Chinese officials and state media have echoed Russia's claims that NATO countries provoked or inflamed the conflict. A joint statement the leaders signed Tuesday condemned "unilateral sanctions" and "moves that lead to tensions and the protraction of fighting."

Yes, but: Xi hasn't explicitly endorsed the invasion, openly breached sanctions or supplied weapons to Russia. He offered no indications on Tuesday that China's positions on those issues had changed.

Xi seems intent on projecting China as a responsible actor and plausible mediator at a time when the other members of the UN Security Council are either at war (Russia) or arming Ukraine (France, U.K., U.S.), says Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Endowment.

Xi is expected to hold a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky some time after he returns from Moscow on Wednesday.

Xi and Putin also signed a series of joint statements and memorandums of understanding about cooperation on trade and other issues on Tuesday. Those didn't include a final deal on a pipeline to export Russian gas to China.

Some analysts contended the summit underscored the increasingly lopsided nature of the relationship, with Putin praising Xi effusively and pledging favorable trade terms and Xi offering little beyond the visit itself (though he did call Putin a "dear friend" and endorse his re-election in 2024).

Still, it's unclear what Xi and Putin may have decided behind closed doors. Even if something more substantive was agreed, Xi might not want to make any announcements that distract from his peace plan, Gabuev notes.

The big picture: While Xi and Putin were meeting in Moscow, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was making a surprise visit to Ukraine. He visited Bucha and expressed "great anger at the atrocity" committed there by Russian troops. He also met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky got another boost this week when 18 European countries announced a joint agreement to procure much-needed artillery shells for Ukraine.

Ukraine is expected to undertake a counteroffensive this spring to try to win back some of the territory currently occupied by Russia. 

show of solidarity by visiting Moscow this week

Xi and Putin stick to same Ukraine positions after summit

Xi offered Putin a significant show of solidarity by visiting Moscow this week.

Xi and Putin at Tuesday's signing ceremony. Photo: Contributor/Getty Images

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russia

Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-Jeou will make a landmark visit to China next week — the first such trip by a former Taiwanese leader since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. 

The big picture: Ma will not visit Beijing and didn't arrange any political events, but he will "suit the convenience of the host" if Chinese officials wish to meet him during his 12-day trip, Hsiao Hsu-tsen, the director of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation told reporters on Monday.

Tensions between Taipei and Beijing have escalated since then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a historic visit to Taiwan last year. The Chinese military conducted live-fire drills around the island for days, and Taiwan vowed to deepen military ties with the U.S.

The backstory: Ma, a senior member of the opposition Kuomintang party who served as Taiwan's president between 2008 and 2016, promoted stronger economic ties between the self-ruled island and Beijing. 

The cross-strait relations sharply deteriorated after the nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took power in 2016, which emphasized Taiwan's sovereignty and bolstered its ties with Washington.

Details: From March 27 to April 7, Ma will lead a delegation of Taiwanese academics and students for a visit to several southern Chinese cities, including Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Shanghai and Chongqing, where the youth will interact with their Chinese counterparts, Hsiao said.

Ma will also pay respects to his ancestors in Hunan province ahead of Tomb Sweeping Day on April 5, Hsiao added.

What they're saying: Beijing welcomed Ma's visit to the mainland and is willing to provide necessary assistance, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement.

“He’s not really representing the government to go and negotiate, I think he just wants to transmit the idea of peaceful exchange,” Kao-cheng Wang, a professor at Taiwan's Tamkang University, told AP about Ma’s plan to bring students.

Between the lines: Ma's trip to China will overlap with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's stopover in the U.S. on her way to Central America.

Hsiao said the overlap is a coincidence since Ma had already planned his trip ahead of the Lunar New Year and wasn't aware of Tsai's itinerary.

Taiwan's presidential office said Ma had notified Tsai of his plans and it hoped that as a former head of state, Ma "can show the value of Taiwan’s democracy and freedom and the position of equality and dignity in cross-strait exchanges.”

Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou plans landmark visit to China

It will be the first such trip by a former Taiwanese leader since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou speaks at an awards ceremony

Former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou plans to visit China next week, but his itinerary will not include Beijing. Photo: Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwan

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew insisted Thursday that forcing the app's Chinese parent company, Bytedance, to sell it would not address the the national security concerns of the U.S. and other governments.

The big picture: Chew's comments to the Wall Street Journal coincided with the U.K. and New Zealand becoming the latest to announce new TikTok restrictions on government devices due to security concerns.

The Biden Administration has warned TikTok that it faces a ban in the United States if ByteDance doesn't sell its stake in the U.S. version of the app, per Axios' Sara Fischer and Ashley Gold.

What they're saying: Doubling down on statements the company has issued previously, Chew told the WSJ that such a move would not provide any more protection than the firm's current plan, which involves ensuring that U.S. user data is accessible only by Oracle Cloud and the firm's American data security team.

"I do welcome feedback on what other risk we are talking about that is not addressed by this," Chew told the outlet from TikTok's WeWork offices in Washington, D.C.

 "So far I haven't heard anything that cannot actually be solved by this."

The intrigue: Chew declined to say during his interview with the WSJ whether ByteDance's founders were open to selling, the outlet reports.

Chew said he and ByteDance had mulled an initial public offering of TikTok, as some lawmakers have suggested to allay security concerns. But there's "no concrete plan right now."

State of play: China's ruling Communist Party has said there's no evidence that TikTok threatens national security. But the U.S., the EU, Canada, and several other countries have in recent months moved to impose bans and other restrictions on the app in relation to official government devices.

Of note: FBI director Chris Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier this month that the Chinese Communist Party has the ability to control the software on millions of devices due to its relationship with ByteDance.

What we're watching: Chew is due to give testimony before Congress next week.

Go deeper... Focus groups: TikTok ban falls flat with Wisconsin swing voters

Editor's note: This article has been updated with further context.

Focus groups: TikTok ban falls flat with Wisconsin swing voters

TikTok CEO: App sale won't address U.S. concerns

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew's comments to the WSJ coincided with the U.K. and New Zealand announcing restrictions due to security concerns.

TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew in Washington, D.C., in February. Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Tel Aviv

Axios from Tel Aviv

The Biden administration has seen gradual but significant improvement in its relations with Riyadh, regardless of last week's China-brokered agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran on reestablishing diplomatic relations, two senior U.S. officials told Axios.

Why it matters: Relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have been tense since the Biden administration assumed office.

Those tensions escalated in October when the Saudis led a move to decrease global oil production. The U.S. saw the move as a violation of the understanding it reached with Saudi Arabia ahead of President Biden’s visit to the kingdom a few months earlier.

Driving the news: The Saudi-Iran deal, which establishes a road map for resuming relations within two months, was seen by many as a victory for China and a blow to U.S. policy in the Middle East. But the Biden administration has sought to downplay the agreement and China's influence in the region.

"The Saudis agreed to possibly reopen an embassy in Tehran in two months. There's no peace treaty here, but a return to the pre-2016 status quo," a senior U.S. official told Axios.

The Biden administration doesn't see a problem with the Chinese trying to de-escalate the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran as long as it doesn't have to do with military or technological cooperation, the senior U.S. official said. 

Behind the scenes: The Saudis, motivated by the hope to end the war in Yemen and stop Houthi attacks against the kingdom, have wanted to reestablish diplomatic relations with Iran since the Biden administration assumed office, according to the senior U.S. official.

Last week's agreement came after several rounds of talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Oman and Iraq. Those talks, however, stalled due to anti-government protests in Iran last year. 

Then in December, Saudi Arabia informed the White House that the Chinese government during President Xi Jinping's visit to the kingdom expressed confidence that it could get a deal that would constrain Iran's actions in the region, the official said. 

Throughout the negotiations in Beijing, the Saudis kept the Biden administration, which was skeptical a deal would be reached, informed, according to the official.

The U.S. official said the Saudis, who were also initially skeptical, called their White House counterparts a day before the deal was announced and said they were close to an agreement. 

State of play: The U.S. official said that both the White House and Saudi Arabia are skeptical that Iran will follow through on the deal, "but we welcome de-escalation in the region through diplomacy wherever possible."

“The Saudis are not rushing into this, and the agreement is not to reopen their embassies next week. That's contingent upon what happens over the next two months. If missiles start flying from Yemen again, there won't be an embassy," the official added.

The Saudi Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iranian officials have described the deal with Saudi Arabia as "an earthquake" when it comes to U.S. influence in the Middle East.

The big picture: U.S. officials say that regardless of the deal, there has in recent months been a gradual improvement in the relations between the Biden administration and the Saudi government.

They point to the Saudi foreign minister's visit to Kyiv during which he announced an aid package to Ukraine, which the Biden administration pushed for, as well as an agreement on 5G technology and the multibillion-dollar Boeing deal that was announced on Tuesday as signs of that process. 

“We are in a better spot," a senior U.S. official said. "They’ve done some important things, and we’ve had good communication on some difficult issues from Yemen to 5G/6G technology to security coordination. It’s moving in a better direction."

The White House also doesn’t think the deal will hamper the Biden administration's efforts to push for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel nor will it lead Abraham Accords countries like the UAE and Bahrain to cool their relations with Israel.

“We completely reject the idea that Saudi Arabia reopening an embassy in Tehran will somehow frustrate the process of Israel-Saudi normalization," the senior U.S. official said.

What to watch: The White House hopes that the Saudi-Iranian agreement and the upcoming holy month of Ramadan will help in getting a breakthrough in the diplomatic efforts to end the war in Yemen.

U.S. special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss ways to broaden the UN-mediated truce that has been in place over the last year. He will later travel to Oman, which plays a key mediation role on this issue.

U.S.-Saudi relations "better," regardless of China-brokered Iran-Saudi deal

The Biden administration has sought to downplay the Iran-Saudi agreement and China's influence in the region.

From left: Musaid Al Aiban, Saudi national security adviser; China's top diplomat Wang Yi; and Iran's top security official Ali Shamkhani. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia

Iran

Axios China

The plan revealed on Monday by the U.S. and the U.K. to transfer nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia shows how seriously the three countries are taking the military threat from China in the Indo-Pacific, analysts say. 

The big picture: It's the first time in 65 years that the U.S. has shared the technology — and only the second time ever. 

The broader significance of the AUKUS pact is the "intentionality to drive technological integration, grow the industrial capacity, and deepen strategic coordination between all three countries," said Charles Edel, Australia chair at the D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, in a press briefing on Friday.

"All of this is being undertaken to help make our closest allies more powerful and more capable of convincing Beijing that it’s no longer operating in a permissive security environment."

What they're saying: By implementing the deal, the U.S., U.K. and Australia "completely disregard the concerns of the international communities and are walking further and further down the path of error and danger," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing on Tuesday. 

Between the lines: For China, AUKUS is a signal that the U.S. is committed to helping Australia acquire capacity for "integrated deterrence," Jingdong Yuan, a professor at the University of Sydney who researches Asia-Pacific security, told Axios.

That means the Australian fleet "can be part of coordinated allied operations, such as regular patrols in the South China Sea or around the key choke points or sea lanes."

Nuclear-powered submarines are quieter and more difficult to detect than conventional submarines, and they can stay beneath the surface for longer periods of time, Yuan said. That strengthens deterrence and "adds complication" for China's territorial claims in the South China Sea and elsewhere, Yuan said. 

U.S., U.K. and Australia submarine deal shows new resolve to counter China

It's the first time in 65 years that the U.S. has shared the technology.

A nuclear-powered U.S. Navy submarine cruises into the Navy Port at Port Canaveral, Fla. Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

By brokering a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, China is trying to ensure two of its most important partners in the Middle East get along so Beijing can achieve its economic and political goals, experts say.

Why it matters: The Middle East has become a major battleground for influence as Washington and Beijing both seek to strengthen their ties and mend relations between their friends in the region.

A lasting detente between Saudi Arabia and Iran could reduce violence and instability, as both countries have long engaged in proxy wars across the region. By getting involved, China is investing its diplomatic and reputational capital in trying to bring together two of the region's most bitter rivals — something other nations haven't been able to do.

But, “this is about bloc-building rather than peace-building," Andrew Small, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States's Indo-Pacific program, told Axios.

The big picture: Beijing's ambitions for its role in the Middle East are growing, just as the West is seeking to restrict China's access to Western technology and markets.

China is "placing increasing emphasis on building a more resilient framework for trade, finance, technology and energy flows, in which Iran and Saudi both play important roles," Small said.

But conflict between Tehran and Riyadh has been a "headache" for China's leaders for years, Small added. "Every time they want to deepen economic and security ties with either one, it rubs up against the other."

What happened: Beijing has been setting the groundwork for months for negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, in what analysts and key figures in the region see as a sign of China's growing challenge to U.S. dominance there.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia in December in a state visit that was hailed by both sides, and Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi visited Beijing in February.

China's efforts came as Saudi Arabia signaled it was trying to rebalance its relations with the U.S. and China, despite efforts by Washington to increase its engagement with Riyadh.

Recent tensions between Riyadh and Washington over the killing of Washington Post column Jamal Khashoggi, and Saudi Arabia's continued participation in a pandemic-era oil pact with Russia, have brought new uncertainty to the bilateral relationship.

There were stark differences between the way they welcomed President Biden and the way they greeted Chinese President Xi.

Biden was received in July at the airport by the governor of Jeddah without any ceremony. Xi was welcomed with Saudi air force fighter jets, honorary cannon fire and the Saudi foreign minister who waited for him on the tarmac.

Yes, but: There's no indication the Saudis will fully commit to a China-led bloc any time soon, Small said.

Riyadh has long been one of Washington's closest security partners in the region. In 2022, the U.S. approved $5 billion in weapons sales to the kingdom, per NPR. 

At the same time, the White House has tried to play down the Chinese role in the last week's deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran and stressed this agreement was two years in the making. "This deal is not about China," a White House official told Axios.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force 1 on Monday that the Chinese mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia was "not fundamentally averse to U.S. interests. Frankly, it's, in a way, rowing in the same direction as the U.S.,” he said.

Still, the deal illustrates China's growing global influence. 

The military adviser to Iran's supreme leader General Yahya Rahim Safavi said on Sunday during the opening ceremony of the Air Force Museum that the agreement was "an earthquake" when it comes to U.S. influence in the Middle East.

What to watch: China is planning a summit of Iranian and Gulf Arab leaders to be held in Beijing later this year, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Go deeper: China seeks more military and police training with developing countries (Axios)

With Iran-Saudi deal, Beijing aims to bring its friends closer together

“This is about bloc-building rather than peace-building."

Photo Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios. Photo: Xinhua News Agency/Getty

Li Qiang, a close ally to Chinese President Xi Jinping, was elected China's new premier on Saturday.

The big picture: Chinese premiers have traditionally been in charge of the Chinese economy, but this position has been weakened under Xi, who centralized power over the past decade and on Friday started his third term as China's top leader.

Li is widely expected to implement the top leader's core agendas, but he will have more sway over the country's economic policies including reviving China’s economy after three years of COVID restrictions, analysts say.

State of play: The 63-year-old Li is perceived by many as a pro-business pragmatist who supports the continued growth of the private sector.

However, unlike previous premiers, Li had never held office at the national level before being elected to the Chinese Communist Party's top leadership last fall.

He replaces Li Keqiang, who retired after two five-year terms as premier. 

Details: Li and  Xi's relationship dates back to the early 2000s when Li served as the party secretary of Wenzhou, a coastal city in Zhejiang province known for its entrepreneurs. He later served as Xi's chief of staff when the future president was the Zhejiang party chief.

"Officials know that Li Qiang is Xi Jinping's guy," Trey McArver, cofounder of consultancy Trivium China, told Reuters. "He clearly thinks that Li Qiang is a very competent person and he has put him in this position because he trusts him and he expects a lot of him."

Xi ally Li Qiang becomes China's new premier

Li ranks No. 2 in the Chinese Communist Party and is widely considered a loyalist to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Li Qiang, a close aide to Chinese President Xi Jinping, was elected China's new premier. Photo: Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images

Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to resume diplomatic relations after secret talks in Beijing mediated by the Chinese government, the two countries announced on Friday.

Why it matters: It's a major breakthrough for the two Middle East rivals, who haven't had diplomatic relations since 2016 when Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran after Iranian protesters stormed its embassy in Tehran.

It's also a diplomatic achievement for the Chinese government and sends a signal from Saudi Arabia to the Biden administration about the role China is playing in the Middle East.

Catch up quick: Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been high for years, including over the war in Yemen, where the two countries backed opposite sides.

Those tensions reached a new level in late 2019 after an attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, which the U.S. and other Western countries attributed to Iran. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed the attack.

Driving the news: Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Iran's Nour News on Friday that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's recent visit to China and his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping paved the way for Chinese mediation between the countries.

Shamkhani said that he held secret talks in Beijing earlier this week with his Saudi counterpart Musaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban. 

The Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers will meet within the next two months and will announce the exchange of ambassadors and the reopening of embassies, according to a trilateral statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi Arabia and Iran will resume their security cooperation agreement and their economic cooperation agreement, the statement said.

What they're saying: "Removing misunderstandings and looking towards the future in Tehran-Riyadh relations will definitely lead to the development of regional stability and security," Shamkhani told Iranian Nour News.

Shamkhani said the agreement "will definitely be a serious obstacle to the presence and interference of extra-regional countries and the Zionist regime in the region."

The Saudi national security adviser said at the signing ceremony that King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman welcomed the Chinese initiative, per the Saudi official news agency said. 

He added that Saudi Arabia wants to open a new page in its relations with Iran that will be based on international principles.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi, who was involved in the mediation efforts,  called the agreement "a victory for peace."

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a briefing with reporters that the Saudis informed the U.S. about their talks with the Iranians. He added the U.S. wasn't involved in the agreement. 

An NSC spokesperson said in a statement earlier that the U.S. has "long encouraged direct dialogue and diplomacy to help reduce tensions and reduce risks of conflict."

"Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Iranians will honor their side of the deal." 

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details and comments throughout. 

Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to resume relations after China mediation

It's a major breakthrough for the two Middle East rivals, who haven't had diplomatic relations since 2016.

Musaid Al Aiban, the Saudi Arabia's national security adviser, China's top diplomat Wang Yi and Iran's top security official Ali Shamkhani. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

China's leader Xi Jinping has begun a history-making third term after he was sworn in as president on Friday.

Why it matters: The Chinese Parliament's unanimous vote Friday means Xi's authoritarianism and assertive foreign policies are likely to continue for at least another five years, per Axios China author Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian.

The big picture: The outcome was expected after Xi was named as China's unchallenged leader during a meeting of the ruling Chinese Communist Party elites last October.

The two-term limit for Chinese presidents was abolished in 2018 and with the 69-year-old Xi having already surpassed the informal retirement age of 68, he could be in a position for life-long rule.

Details: Xi pledged under oath during Friday's carefully choreographed ceremony to build a "prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and great modern socialist country."

China's Xi sworn in for historic third term

China's two-term limit has been abolished and Xi could be in a position for life-long rule.

Chinese President Xi Jinping swears under oath after being re-elected as president for a third term during the third plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Thursday. Photo: Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images

Xi Jinping

The newfound political fervor that sent protesters to the streets in China over Beijing's zero-COVID policy is helping Chinese activists worldwide grow their bases and forge stronger ties with other pro-democracy protesters, organizers based abroad told Axios.

The big picture: The COVID protests in China last November achieved their primary goal — the end of mass lockdowns, quarantines, and daily testing — even though police quashed the demonstrations within days.

While the end of zero-COVID slowed momentum for Chinese protesters abroad who are calling for democracy in China and the resignation of President Xi Jinping, it also proved protests can influence policy decisions in Beijing.

"Chinese people have definitely become more politically minded over the last few years, and the COVID-19 pandemic hastened that process," said Miho, 19, a student at the University of California, Irvine.

Background: Late last year, dozens of Chinese cities saw the country's largest political demonstrations in decades, as protesters demanded an end to zero-COVID policies. 

Organizers abroad soon followed suit, with some solidarity rallies openly calling for Xi to step down. One of the largest rallies was held near the Chinese Consulate in New York City, where about 1,000 people gathered on Nov. 29. Many held blank sheets of paper, just like protesters in China.

Axios spoke with eight overseas organizers across the U.S. and in Canada, including one who coordinated the New York rally. Most of them asked that only their English names be used, fearing retaliation from the Chinese government against them and their families.

What they're saying: "I think it’s a short-term victory for the Chinese people, but it’s not enough," said Wang Han, a 25-year-old student at the University of Southern California who went on a hunger strike outside of Apple's headquarters last month to protest the company's human rights records in China.

After zero-COVID ends, Chinese activists abroad dig in for long haul

Several overseas organizers told Axios about their experiences. They said the fight is far from over.

China

The big picture

After zero-COVID ends, Chinese activists abroad dig in for long haul

India to become most populous nation — bringing opportunities and challenges

U.S.-China-Taiwan tensions aren't going away any time soon

Senate passes bill to ban TikTok on government devices

China maintains zero-COVID despite unprecedented protests

U.S. and China to resume climate change talks

All China stories