We welcome India’s ban on certain mobile apps, said Mike Pompeo (File)
New Delhi:
India’s ban on 59 Chinese apps will strengthen its sovereignty, integrity and national security, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, welcoming the decision made amidst an impasse between India and the China in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh.
“We welcome India’s ban on certain mobile applications that serve as an appendix to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) surveillance state,” Pompeo told reporters.
“India’s approach to clean applications will strengthen India’s sovereignty. It will also strengthen India’s national security and integrity,” said the PTI news agency.
Mobile apps that were banned included the hugely popular TikTok, WeChat and UC Browser in the midst of a huge economic shock to China after the June 15 clashes in Ladakh, in which 20 Indian soldiers died for the country.
The government has declared that the applications have been blocked “in the light of the information available, they are engaged in activities harmful to the sovereignty and integrity of India, to the defense of India, to the security of l ‘State and public order’.
Responding to the ban, China said India’s decision was discriminatory.
“India’s measure selectively and discriminatorily targets certain Chinese applications on ambiguous and far-fetched grounds, runs counter to fair and transparent procedural requirements, abuses national security exceptions and suspects of violating EU rules “WTO,” said Chinese Embassy spokesman Ji Rong.
The United States, which has engaged in bitter trade with China for months, first during the trade war and then the coronavirus, is faced with requests from some legislators to ban Chinese applications, mainly TikTok, the viral mobile video application which is also very popular in India.
After India’s decision, Republican MP Rick Crawford tweeted that “TikTok must leave and it should have disappeared yesterday”.
Last week, US national security adviser Robert O’Brien said the Chinese government was using TikTok for its own purposes.
TikTok, which has millions of users in India, said on Tuesday that it was following government orders. “TikTok continues to comply with all confidentiality and data security requirements under Indian law and has not shared any information from our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government,” he said. he said in a statement.
Government sources said on Wednesday that the third round of high-level military talks to resolve the impasse with China had taken place on June 30 but was inconclusive.
With PTI inputs
