Trump Signs EO Banning Popular Chinese Payment Apps

President Donald Trump's executive order Tuesday bans transactions with eight popular Chinese payment apps, citing national security concerns. In effect in 45 days, the EO bans transactions with Alipay, QQ Wallet, WeChat Pay, Tencent QQ, CamScanner, SHAREit, VMate and WPS Office. Certain Chinese apps “continue to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” it said. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross supported Trump’s “commitment to protecting the privacy and security of Americans from threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.” A Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson called the EO another example of the U.S. “wantonly bullying foreign companies by abusing state power on the untenable ground of national security.” National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said “China’s Military-Civil Fusion strategy explicitly aims to co-opt or coerce civilian enterprises into assisting the People’s Liberation Army.” The apps’ parent companies didn’t comment Wednesday.