Beijing opposes India's decision to ban more Chinese applications and calls on New Delhi to stop discriminating against Chinese companies under the pretext of national security, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th November, 2020) Beijing opposes India's decision to ban more Chinese applications and calls on New Delhi to stop discriminating against Chinese companies under the pretext of national security, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India announced that the country's authorities have blocked access to 43 mobile applications, most of which are developed by Chinese companies, for allegedly engaging in actions detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India, state security and public order.
"For the fourth time since June, India has imposed restrictions on smartphone apps with Chinese backgrounds under the pretext of national security. These moves is glaring violation of market principles and WTO rules, severely harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. China firmly rejects them," Zhao said at a briefing.
The spokesperson called on India to abandon its discriminatory actions and avoid further damage to bilateral cooperation.
In June, the Indian government blocked access to 59 mobile applications developed in China, and in September, it banned the use of 118 more applications, including TikTok, the UC Browser, the WeChat messenger and others.
The decision to ban Chinese apps was made amid the tensions between the two countries in the high-mountainous border region of Ladakh.
Indian and Chinese military personnel clashed in June in the Galwan Valley, where the Indian region of Ladakh borders China's Aksai Chin region, in a confrontation that left both sides with casualties. Tense standoffs have been reported as recently as September 16.
The foreign ministers from both countries agreed to de-escalate tensions in the region following talks on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in September.
