A day after another round of ban on Chinese apps that may pose a threat to India's national security, the neighbouring country has "resolutely opposed" the move. Ji Rong, the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in India in a statement, has said China firmly opposes India's repeated use of 'national security' as an excuse to prohibit mobile apps with a Chinese background. "Hope India provides a fair, impartial and non-discriminatory business environment for all market players and rectifies discriminatory practices violating WTO rules," Ji Rong added.
Rong stated that "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".
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The statement added that China and India should provide "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, Rong added.
Notably, the Centre banned 43 more Chinese mobile apps on Tuesday, including AliExpress, AliSuppliers, Lalamove India, Mango TV amongst others. This takes the total number of apps banned in India since June to 220.
On June 29 and September 2, the government had blocked total 161 apps including some popular ones like TikTok, WeChat, PUBG, CamScanner to name a few. Despite China's reluctance, India has consistently said that these apps are engaging in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of the country.
Conversely, the ban on Chinese apps over the last few months has witnessed a sudden surge in home-grown apps. The government's decision to ban some popular apps is considered a strategic move to boost the Indian app ecosystem. The bans have opened up tremendous opportunities for Indian apps and gaming ecosystem to align their businesses with the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat strategy.
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