US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 5, 2021, local time in Washington, DC, stating that after 45 days, US individuals and businesses will be banned from trading with 8 Chinese APPs, which are Alipay, CamScanner, QQ Wallet, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate, WeChat Pay, WPS Office, and their related apps.
I have compiled several important pieces of information revealed by the Executive Order as follows.
1. to the extent permitted by applicable law, the following order shall be implemented within 45 days from the date of the order: no individual or enterprise subject to U.S. jurisdiction shall engage in transactional behavior with persons associated with the development or control of the 8 APPs or subsidiaries of the 8 enterprises.
The Secretary of Commerce is required to continue to evaluate Chinese APPs that may pose an unacceptable threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or the U.S. economy and to take appropriate action by E.O. 13873. 3.
Within 45 days of the date of this Order, the Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence, shall provide a report to the Assistant to the President for National Security with recommendations regarding the "sale or transfer of U.S. user data to foreign adversaries/foreign adversaries' access to such data." 4.
The Secretariat shall, within 45 days of the date of this Order, compile a list of the persons who developed or control the eight APPs covered by Regulation 1 and the related transactions.
It is clear from the order that more Chinese APPs may be included in the list of prohibited transactions, and these 8 APPs are just the beginning. In the ban, Trump said that China has been advancing its economic and national security agenda through massive data collection and that the 8 APPs in the ban have a large user base that automatically accesses information on millions of users in the U.S., including sensitive personally identifiable and private information, posing a threat to the security of the American people and therefore measures must be taken to address it.
For more information on the order, see the original article "Executive Order Addressing the Threat Posed By Applications and Other Software Developed or Controlled By Chinese Companies".
This move made two weeks before the end of his term, demonstrates the Trump administration's unfriendly stance toward China, although it will likely be up to the incoming Biden administration to determine the scope of the order and the timing and process of its implementation. There is still uncertainty as to whether this Trump move will take effect, as the Biden administration has not yet made clear that it will enact the ban signed by Trump.
The executive order is another escalation of the Trump administration's repressive measures against China's Internet industry. Over the past few years, the Trump administration has waged a trade war against China, blocking acquisitions related to Chinese companies and cutting off business from phone and telecom equipment makers like Huawei. Last year, the Trump administration issued executive orders banning TikTok and WeChat, but today both bans are mired in litigation, with Tik Tok and WeChat still able to operate in the United States. And tensions with the U.S. could also make it more challenging for Ali amid an ongoing antitrust investigation at home.
Enforcement of the executive order could affect Chinese in the U.S. who travel between China and the U.S. or use these APPs to stay in touch or conduct business with Chinese partners. But don't worry, TIKVPN offers a free unlocking service by using all the banned apps NOW!