New Delhi: Amidst reports of Tiktok shutting down shop in India with the Central government planning to extend the ban on Chinese mobile apps, China on Wednesday repeated its protest that this move was in violation of World Trade Organisation rules and legitimate rights of Chinese firms.
Last weekend, the Indian media had reported that the Ministry of Electronics and IT had sent notices to Chinese apps that last year’s order to block them will be extended. India had first banned the first batch of Chinese apps in June 2020, after over 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh.
PTI reported on Wednesday that Chinese IT firm Bytedance, which operates Tiktok and Helo apps, had announced that the Indian business will be closing down. The employees will informed of the decision through a joint email from Tiktok’s global interim head Vanessa Pappas and vice president for global business solutions Blake Chandlee.
The Chinese embassy issued a statement on Wednesday that China “firmly opposes” India’s move by India to extend the ban. “Since last year, the Indian side has repeatedly used national security as an excuse to prohibit some Mobile APPs with Chinese background. These moves in violation of WTO non-discriminatory principles and fair competition principles of market economy severely damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies,” said the embassy spokesperson, Ji Rong.
She reiterated that China has always asked its companies to observe international rules and local laws while 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.”
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Chinese claimed that the ban by the Indian government has “also hindered the improvement of the Indian business environment and the innovative development of related Indian industries”.
Claiming that India-China economic and trade cooperation is “mutually beneficial”, Ji Rong cautioned, “We urge the Indian side to immediately correct its discriminatory measures and avoid causing further damage to bilateral cooperation.”