Trump, Who Took an Anti-China Stance Until the End, Issues 'Ban Orders' on Chinese Apps Like Alipay

President Donald Trump of the United States
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] With only half a month left in his term, U.S. President Donald Trump continues to pressure China until the very end of his presidency.

According to Bloomberg News and others, President Trump signed an executive order on the 5th (local time) banning transactions with eight mobile applications developed by Chinese companies. The sanctions target Alipay, QQ Wallet, Tencent QQ, WeChat Pay, CamScanner, SHAREit, VMate, and WPS Office.

President Trump instructed the Department of Commerce to enforce these sanctions within 45 days. There are conflicting predictions about whether the Department of Commerce will take action before Trump’s term ends on the 20th or if the implementation will be reconsidered after President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

President Trump cited national security threats posed by Chinese tech companies as the reason for the sanctions. He pointed out, "Apps linked to China can extensively access user information, including sensitive data and private information that exposes personal identities, by accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers."

Last month, supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump held a large rally at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

The Chinese authorities strongly criticized President Trump’s move as an act of hegemonism.

Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 6th (local time), "The U.S. action excessively applies the concept of national security and abuses state power," and also described it as "an irrational and hegemonic act of persecuting foreign companies."

Spokesperson Hua emphasized, "Such actions harm others as well as themselves," adding, "While some Chinese companies will be affected by this measure, more importantly, it could damage the interests of American consumers and the United States."

She also criticized, "The U.S. government claims this measure is to protect Americans' personal information and data security, but as everyone knows, the U.S. is the world's largest 'hacker empire,' surveilling not only its own citizens but people around the world."

This measure is expected to further escalate tensions between the U.S. government and the Chinese Communist Party leadership.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.