German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has created an official government account on TikTok. His debut TikTok video, set to a playful bassoon melody, offers a behind-the-scenes tour of his office before showing him seated at his desk. 

“I will not dance. Promised,” the Chancellor wrote on X, assuring users he would maintain his characteristically sober style. 

As The Guardian reports, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said ahead of Scholz’s visit to China on Saturday that the new channel aims to “increase the information offer to citizens, who increasingly inform themselves and discuss politics on TikTok.”

Scholz is the latest Western leader to join TikTok despite widespread concerns over security and disinformation risks associated with the Chinese-owned platform. 

In February, US President Joe Biden created an account ahead of the 2024 presidential election to engage younger voters. However, during a recent call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden raised concerns about TikTok’s ownership.

Hebestreit clarified that the timing of Scholz’s TikTok launch, just days before his upcoming visit to China, was coincidental. The Chancellor’s office thoroughly evaluated the platform before deciding to sign up, he added.

The move allows Scholz to communicate with the platform’s predominantly young user base ahead of the European Parliament elections in June, providing “a look behind the scenes of everyday government life,” according to Hebestreit.

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