Trump Bans 8 Chinese Apps Including Alipay

Donald Trump, the US President signed an executive order prohibiting transactions with eight Chinese apps. Applications include the popular Alipay payment platform, as well as QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay.

The order, which will take effect in 45 days, says the apps are prohibited because they pose a threat to the national security of the US.

It points out the possibility that the apps can be used to track and create files on US federal employees. Included in the order are Tencent QQ, CamScanner, SHAREit, VMate and WPS Office which only take effect after Trump leaves the office.

"The United States must take aggressive action against those who develop or control Chinese connected software applications to protect our national security," the order said.

President Trump's order says "by accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information."

The Trump administration increased pressure on Chinese companies in his final months in office, including those it considers a national security risk.

President Trump has signed executive orders against a variety of Chinese companies arguing that they could share data with the Chinese government.

Chinese social media app TikTok and telecommunications giant Huawei have been among the victims of Washington's crackdown.

Last month, the Commerce Department added dozens of Chinese companies, including the country's top chipmaker SMIC and drone maker DJI Technology, to a commercial blacklist.

The administration also prevented several Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties from buying sensitive US goods and technology.

China has consistently denied claims that these companies share their data with the Chinese government and imposed its own export laws that restrict the export of military technology.

In August, the US ordered ByteDance, the owner of TikTok app, to shut down or sell its US assets. Despite missing a deadline to complete the sale, the United States has yet to close the application and negotiations continue on its future.

Exclusion Debacle

This latest ban comes as the White House quietly lobbied the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to consider a second U-turn in its decision to remove three Chinese telecom giants.

Last week, the NYSE announced that it was delisting China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom in line with another executive order.

On Monday, the NYSE reversed that decision and announced that it had decided not to exclude the three companies after further consulting with US regulators. The NYSE decided based on ambiguity about whether the securities were actually covered by the order.

However, the exchange has been under pressure for its decision. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called NYSE President Stacey Cunningham to say he disagrees with the decision, as per Reuters.

Republican senator and China hardliner Marco Rubio has also said that the NYSE's refusal to delist the companies was a "scandalous effort" to undermine the president's executive order.

The Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), owns the NYSE, run by billionaire Jeffrey Sprecher. His spouse Kelly Loeffler is one of two Republican senators facing a runoff election Tuesday in Georgia.