In this July 5, 2006 file photo, a Chinese soldier, left, and an Indian soldier put into place a barbed wire fence removed temporarily for Chinese officials to cross back to their country after a meeting with their Indian counterparts. (AP)
India-China Border News Live Update: Reacting to the ban on 59 Chinese apps by India, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India Tuesday said the move “selectively and discriminatorily” aims at certain Chinese apps on “ambiguous and far-fetched grounds” and is in violation of international trade rules.
Amid the tense border standoff with China in Ladakh, the government on Monday banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, based on information that they were engaged in activities “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity”, defence, security and public order.
Meanwhile, the Corps Commanders of the Indian and Chinese armies are holding a meeting at the Chushul border point as part of efforts to de-escalate the situation on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, PTI reported. This is the third meeting between XIV Corps Commander Lt General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military Region Commander Major General Liu Lin.
The government on Monday banned popular app TikTok among others.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a swipe at the BJP saying, the party says 'Make in India', but its government at the Centre buys from China. "Facts don't lie. BJP says: Make in India. BJP does: Buy from China," he said in a tweet along with a graph showing comparative volumes of imports from China during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's tenure and the current BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government. The graph shows a rise in Chinese imports under the current dispensation.
Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said all apps released in India must adhere to the country's data integrity, privacy and sovereignty, a day after the government banned 59 apps. Asserting that India has to be a data sovereign country, Kant also said apps must be transparent in terms of origin and final destination of data.
The Chinese embassy spokesperson further said: "We expect India acknowledges the mutually beneficial nature of China-India economic and trade cooperation, and urge the Indian side to change its discriminatory practices, maintain the momentum of China-India economic and trade cooperation, treat all investments and service providers equally, and create an open, fair and just business environment, while bearing in mind the fundamental interests of both sides and the overall interests of bilateral relations."
Saying that India's move to ban Chinese apps will affect employment of local Indian workers, the Chinese embassy spokesperson said it is also in the interests if Indian users. 'The ban will affect not only the employment of local Indian workers who support these apps, but also the interests of Indian users and the employment and livelihoods of many creators and entrepreneurs,' the spokesperson said.
"Related apps have a large number of users in India, have been operating strictly in accordance with Indian laws and regulations, and provide efficient and fast services for Indian consumers, creators and entrepreneurs," said the Chinese embassy spokesperson
The statement from the Chinese embassy spokesperson further added: "It also goes against the general trend of international trade and e-commerce, and is not conducive to consumer interests and the market competition in India."
The embassy spokesperson added: "India’s measure, selectively and discriminatorily aims at certain Chinese apps on ambiguous and far-fetched grounds, runs against fair & transparent procedure requirements, abuses national security exceptions, & suspects of violating WTO rules."
The Chinese embassy spokesperson added: "...on the so-called grounds that ‘they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state & public order’. Chinese side is seriously concerned with and firmly opposed to such action."
Commenting on India blocking mobile apps, a Chinese embassy spokesperson said: "On June 29, Ministry of Information Technology of India issued a notice, citing relevant laws and regulations, to block certain Chinese mobile applications in India.."
The Shiv Sena today said people were fed up of the war of words between the BJP and Congress over the border standoff with China, and the government should focus on handling the row with the neighbouring country and the coronavirus crisis. An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said that "China has been adamant and will never change", and the need is to forget the past, tackle the fresh crisis and create a new future for the country. Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's comments that the country will win the 'twin 'wars' against Covid-19 and the border row with China under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Sena said, "The government should focus on these two battles and not on the opposition party. There is no need to be rattled by questions raised by the opposition party."
TikTok has been taken down from Apple App store and also Google Play store. For users who have the TikTok app download can still use the app and post videos but officially the platform is now banned in the country. It must be noted that if you have the app installed on your phone you will still be able to see it on Google Play store. Once you uninstall it the TikTok app will not be visible.
The IT Ministry today issued an order to Google and Apple to ban 59 applications from their stores in tune with the Centre’s latest decision over security concerns, a spokesperson told The Indian Express. However, internet service providers such as Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone said they have not received any order from the government to ban these applications, sources said.
Reacting to New Delhi's ban on the Chinese apps, Beijing today said it was "strongly concerned and was verifying the situation", Reuters reported.
Taking a swipe at the Modi government over its decision to ban Chinese apps, former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said: "It is good that the Modi government is protecting the privacy of 130 crore Indians by banning 59 Chinese apps. The NaMo app also violates privacy of Indians by accessing 22 data points, surreptitiously changing the privacy settings and sending data to third party companies in US. #BanNaMoApp."
As TikTok grew in popularity in India and other markets, the app also drew a lot of criticism, mainly from the lawmakers. Several controversies rocked the social media app in the market. In 2018, TikTok was banned in Indonesia for containing “pornography, inappropriate content and blasphemy”. Though the ban on the app was later lifted, TikTok had already come under the radar of Indonesia authorities for “inappropriate content.” In the same year, a 24-year old Chennai man allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a train after being mocked for wearing women’s clothes on the app. Click here to read more.
The Punjab government will check on the “involvement” of China in an Indian firm selected to deliver smartphones to be given to youths as part of the Congress’ poll promise before taking a final call on whether or not to proceed with it, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday said. His statement came soon after he asked the central government to return donations by Chinese firms into the PM CARES Fund. Amarinder said his government has placed an order with an Indian company (LAVA). The firm had informed the government hat 50,000 smartphones were ready and that they wanted to deliver another 50,000 more phones in July. “We will check what is China’s involvement in this company and to what extent and then make a decision. What is the equity situation (in the company)? Is it Chinese equity or Indian ?” Amarinder said in reply to a specific query during a pres conference here.
In his latest column ‘Diplomacy after Galwan’, C Rajamohan, director, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, and contributing editor on international affairs for The Indian Express, evaluates how the ongoing stand-off between India and China will play out. He states that while there is “a general consensus in Delhi that the Galwan encounter has produced a discontinuity in India’s China policy”, skeptics point out that structural constraints would limit dramatic changes in policy once the heat of the moment dissipates. Rajamohan argues that “the potential direction of the Sino-Indian relationship is likely to depend on how the current military confrontation in Ladakh is resolved”. In his view, “if it ends with a quick return to the status quo that prevailed in April, (the Sino-India policy) inertia is likely to limit radical policy departures”. If, on the other hand, “the Ladakh crisis ends in a setback for India, the pressure on Delhi to radically reorient its China policy will mount”.
Taking a swipe at the Modi government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted: "Facts don’t lie. BJP says: Make in India. BJP does: Buy from China."
Citing the “emergent nature of threats” from mobile applications, including popular ones of Chinese origin such as TikTok, ShareIt, UCBrowser, Club Factory and CamScanner, the Centre Monday banned 59 apps based on information that they were engaged in activities “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity”, defence, security and public order. “The Ministry of Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources, including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India,” the government said in a statement on Monday.
A day after the Centre banned popular Chinese apps, TikTok on Tuesday issued a statement which said: "We have been invited to meet with concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and has not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government."