Chairman of TikTok owner ByteDance steps down as Beijing tightens grip

Zhang Yiming relinquishes role at firm he co-founded, one of Chinese tech's biggest global success stories

The chairman of TikTok owner ByteDance has stepped down, as the Chinese government tightens its control of the tech sector and maintains pressure on the industry's domestic entrepreneurs.

Zhang Yiming announced in May he would step down as chief executive of the tech company he co-founded and on Wednesday he relinquished his chair title, with the company's English-language website no longer featuring a page that mentioned his formal board role. Instead, there was a photo of Zhang under the heading of leadership" with no title underneath. ByteDance declined to comment.