Zhao Lijian

 
China's Foreign Ministry called India's recent ban on 43 Chinese apps a clear violation of market principles and WTO regulations, and urged Indian government to reconsider the discriminatory move before it does even more damage to bilateral cooperation. 

According to Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, India has taken prohibitive measures against Chinese apps on four occasions since June this year. The actions have severely damaged the legitimate rights of Chinese enterprises. 

The Chinese government always requires Chinese businesses operating overseas to comply with local laws and regulations, Zhao said.

India banned 43 more smartphone apps on Tuesday including those linked to Chinese tech giant Alibaba, after New Delhi announced reforms to its foreign direct investment (FDI) regime.

India has banned more than 170 Chinese apps, under the pretext of protecting its national security.

The 43 apps, a majority of which are linked to Chinese developers include Alibaba's e-commerce app Aliexpress, AliSuppliers mobile app, Alibaba Workbench, Alipay Cashier and DingTalk, an enterprise communication and collaboration platform which has been popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. India's technology ministry justified the ban citing the "sovereignty and integrity of India."

A spokesperson for the e-commerce app Aliexpress told the Global Times on Wednesday that the Indian market represents only a fraction of its international operations, and the ban has "limited impact" on its business, which covers 220 countries and regions across the world. 

The Chinese embassy in India reaffirmed China's opposition to India's ban on Chinese apps under a new national security law made public on Wednesday, calling for a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment.

There is no threat between India and China, both countries have a great opportunity to trade and access each other's markets, the embassy said, adding that the Chinese government's position was for both parties to return to negotiation and bring the bilateral relationship back on track. 

Global Times