China says India's app ban violated WTO rules

China has said that the Indian government's decision to keep a ban on 59 Chinese apps was a violation of the World Trade Organization's fair rules of business and would hurt Chinese firms. Prof Srikant Kondapalli of Chinese studies at JNU told ETV Bharat's senior reporter Chandrakala Choudhury that China could not blame India when Beijing itself had banned Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter on national security grounds.

New Delhi: China on Wednesday accused India of repeatedly using national security as an excuse to prohibit mobile apps with a Chinese background. The comment came after India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued an updated notice announcing a permanent ban on Chinese apps, and the permanent ban will take effect in June.

The spokesperson of the Chinese embassy to India Ji Rong took to Twitter and said, "China firmly opposes India repeatedly using national security as an excuse to prohibit mobile apps with a Chinese background in violation of World Trade Organisation rules and market principles."

China further urged the Indian side to correct discriminatory measures and avoid causing further damage to bilateral cooperation.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Prof Srikant Kondapalli of Chinese studies at JNU, opined that in the light of the tense border situation and China's occupation of the disputed land and refusal to follow the agreements it signed with India since 1993, New Delhi is concerned with the damage that Chinese IT can inflict on Indian security.

"If China does not follow the agreements and understandings with India, how can India follow any agreements? Besides, the WTO has national security clauses while conducting trade. China had banned Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and others on national security grounds. How can it accuse India if it has double standards?" the professor asked.

Meanwhile, Prof Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme, ORF New Delhi, said it was clear that the Chinese are rattled.

"This was expected that Chinese would say that because they have traditionally used trade for geopolitical purposes and now they are feeling the brunt of it. So clearly, they are rattled and they want to project it as a sign of India's malevolence. But the reality is that India is trying to pay back to China at the same point," he said.

"China has used trade and violated the free trade provisions and manipulated trade rules. There is a lot of resentment about it around the world and not simply India. In India's case, national security is paramount and it will look at trading with China, through the prism of national security for the forseeablee future and Chinese will have to get used to it if they want to deal with India," he added.

Last year, following the Galwan valley attack, India had banned 59 apps in June including TikTok, Alibaba, US Browser, etc citing that they are engaged in activities that harm the sovereignty and integrity of India. The government's decision to ban the apps came as a result of concern that it is detrimental to the nation's security.

Read:TikTok and these 58 apps now banned in India

Thereafter, the Indian government allowed the companies to explain their case regarding compliance with privacy and security requirements, but failing to satisfy the government has led to the banning of these apps permanently now.

Reacting to this decision, the Chinese spokesperson in a statement said, "The Chinese government always asks Chinese companies to observe international rules and local laws and regulations when doing business overseas. The Indian government has the responsibility to follow WTO rules and market principles and protect the legitimate rights and interests of international investors including Chinese companies."

"These moves of the Indian government have also hindered the improvement of the Indian business environment and the innovative development of related Indian industries. China-India economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial by nature. We urge the Indian side to immediately correct its discriminatory measures and avoid causing further damage to bilateral cooperation," the statement said.

"By doing so, India is not cutting trade ties with China, It is only concerned about China utilising trade as a weapon. Australia is suffering because of over trade dependence," Professor Kondapalli said.

Following the border standoff with China, India in September last year banned another 118 apps including popular mobile game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), to escalate the pressure on Chinese technology companies.

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