India’s decision to ban apps based on ‘national security excuse’, violates WTO rules: China

China resolutely opposed India’s measures to ban more Chinese mobile applications over national security concerns, its embassy in the South Asian nation said on Wednesday.

“We firmly oppose the Indian side’s repeated use of ‘national security’ as an excuse to prohibit some Mobile APPs with a Chinese background. The Chinese government has always required overseas Chinese companies to abide by international rules, operate in compliance with laws and regulations, and conform to public order and good morals,” the Chinese counterpart said in response.

We hope the Indian side provides a fair, impartial, and non-discriminatory business environment for all market players from various countries including China, and rectify the discriminatory practices violating WTO rules, it added.

China and India are opportunities for development to each other rather than threats. Both sides should bring bilateral economic and trade relations back to the right path for mutual benefit and win-win results on the basis of dialogue and negotiation, it further mentioned.

India banned 43 of the apps on Tuesday, including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s e-commerce app Aliexpress, in a new wave of web sanctions targeting China after the neighbour’s months-long standoff on their Himalayan border.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)