A user swipes on his smartphone while WeChat logos appear in the background, 14 May 2020. Photo: IC

 The first thing Renold, a 30-something businessman living in Los Angeles, does after waking up in the morning is check his messages on WeChat, where his Chinese business partners send product information and transfer money.

The social networking app developed by Chinese tech firm Tencent has played a critical role in facilitating his mask business during pandemic, as it is much more efficient than communicating via e-mail.  

"I use WeChat day and night to talk with my Chinese counterparts and suppliers. They share not only business information, but also trends and policies in China that will be useful for my business," Renold told the Global Times on WeChat.

There are about 19 million active WeChat users like Renold in the US, among 1.1 billion users across the globe, data from Apptopia and Tencent showed.

For them, WeChat is not only about business, but is also about culture and friendship.

But what will happen if the American people abandon Chinese technology products, can they live just as conveniently as before?

"I will definitely miss WeChat if it's banned. I guess the biggest problem would be the fact that I won't be able to get in touch with my friends in China. WeChat is the only communication tool I have with them," John, who works for a consulting company in Texas, told the Global Times on Monday.

"It's a pity to see the app has been politicized," he said.

Tencent is also the world's largest gaming company by revenue. It has published several popular mobile and video games, and owns US-based Riot Games, famous for the League of Legends. Tencent has a majority stake in Supercell, and smaller stakes in other international gaming companies such as Epic and Activision Blizzard.

While Renold starts his day with WeChat, his wife and business partner Alisa turns on the laptop - the ThinkPad sold by Chinese tech firm Lenovo. She checks shopping websites, including e-commerce platform AliExpress developed by China's Alibaba, to find decorations, furniture and stationery for their new office.

"You can always find good discounts and nice gadgets on AliExpress. Despite the  fact that the delivery time could be as long as a month, it's worth waiting for," Alisa said.

According to IDC, Lenovo has received a big boost in the US where sales soared nearly 29 percent to just over 1.9 million units in the first quarter of the year. Its market share climbed to 17.5 percent from 13.7 percent, putting it in third place behind Dell's 31.4 percent share and HP's 24.8 percent.

Though AliExpress does not have the same US presence as its American counterpart Amazon, it has a massive influence over the global e-commerce landscape with over 785 million active buyers around the world as of the third quarter of 2019.

As the COVID-19 spread is ongoing in the US, Renold and Alisa are considering purchasing a projector to use at home. They found that Chinese tech firm and smartphone maker Xiaomi's newest smart projector - the Xiaomi Mijia Laser Projector, priced at around $2,000 - was very popular and had been recommended by many bloggers.

"Now it's not only made-in-China clothes, toys, and electronic products. Chinese tech products are an increasing presence in our daily lives now, and for me, they're indispensable," said Renold.

On the other side of the country, in New York, 16-year-old Maddie is quite angry at the government's decision to ban TikTok, a short video-sharing app from Chinese company ByteDance. Maddie is now partnering with her friends to save what she described as an "online community for the country's Generation Z'ers."

 "TikTok made me smile, laugh and also cheer me up when I was down, it's not only a social media network, I really hope it could be saved," Maddie said on her Twitter account, including the hashtag #saveTikTok.

In the US, about 45 percent of teens aged between 13 and 16 have downloaded TikTok. In June, the app topped the list of downloads on the Apple Store and Google Play in the country.

Maddie has just bought a lightweight gimbal stabilizer made by DJI, a Chinese firm famous for its drones. The stabilizer is popular among vloggers and celebrities, and Maddie hopes she can use the new tool to share her life on TikTok.

In 2018, DJI increased its share of the global drone market to 74 percent, according to Skylogic Research. The drones were widely used by US authorities and firms in many sectors, as well as for rescue work - DJI drones could save about 200 American lives every year.

What Americans might not know is that the walkie talkies used by security guards at their schools or offices could have been shipped from Fujian Province in East China; the screens on their phones, TVs or computers could have come from a Chinese firm in South China's Shenzhen; and China's Beidou system, similar to GPS, is already supporting the location functions of many of their mobile devices.

And Chinese tech is helping even more Americans in the US' vast rural areas. Every message sent in these areas is sent with the help of Chinese tech firm Huawei, a major supplier of equipment to rural wireless companies.

Phones, cars, bags, Christmas trees, and even flags for the upcoming presidential election are likely to have been assembled or produced in China, or contain a key part that was made in China.

"The US-initiated trade war has resulted in the US public paying more for their normal lives. A widespread, brutal ban on Chinese tech products will only drag its innovation pace and stimulate domestic conflict, as it's affecting people in more ways," industry analyst Liu Dingding told the Global Times on Monday.

"If the WeChat ban comes into effect, I will be really angry since it will greatly influence my business and even become a barrier for my work and way of earning money," said Renold, a former supporter of current US President Donald Trump.

Chinese tech products are helping us spend less and live better, Renold said.