China’s Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng attends a press conference at the Ministry of Commerce.
China’s Commerce Ministry said on Thursday that it strongly opposes India banning Chinese mobile apps. The Indian actions violate the legal interests of Chinese investors and service providers, and China is asking India to correct its mistakes, Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said in a briefing.
India has banned 118 other mobile apps, mostly Chinese, including Tencent Holdings Ltd’s popular PUBG video game, citing concerns about data security.
The list of 118 apps, mostly Chinese, also includes apps from Baidu and Xiaomi’s ShareSave. The ban was announced a day after a senior Indian official said troops were deployed on four strategic hills after what Delhi called a Chinese raid attempt along a disputed Himalayan border.
These “applications surreptitiously collect and share data and compromise personal data and user information that may pose a serious threat to state security,” the ministry said in a statement. The ban is a blow to Tencent in India, whose PUBG, a battle royale game, is a huge hit in the country.
India ranks first in the world in terms of PUBG downloads, accounting for roughly 175 million installs, or 24 percent of the total, says app analytics firm SensorTower. India first banned 59 Chinese apps, including ByteDance’s popular video-sharing app, TikTok, Tencent’s WeChat and Alibaba’s UC Browser, in June.
That move, which the technology minister referred to as a “digital attack,” followed a skirmish with Chinese troops at the disputed Himalayan border site in June.
India’s movements have stalled the business operations of several Chinese companies in India. They have also forced Alibaba, a major backer of Indian tech startups, to suspend all investment plans in the country for at least six months, Reuters reported in August.
Tech analysts say there is a risk that the sudden change in the business environment will deter Chinese investment overall. “App bans not only give a negative signal to Chinese firms and investors already in India, but even those who expect a favorable climate to invest in India can now back off,” said Atul Pandey, partner at the law firm of Khaitan & Co lawyers who have advised several Chinese clients.
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