Chinese envoy to India visits IDSA, holds 'detailed discussions' over bilateral relations

Chinese ambassador to India H.E. Sun Weidong on Tuesday visited the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) amid the escalated tensions between the two neighbouring countries. The Chinese envoy on his visit held 'detailed discussions' with the IDSA DG Sujan Chinoy over the Indo-China LAC standoff and the state of bilateral relations between the two countries. The visit comes just a day after the Indian government banned 59 Chinese mobile apps citing security and privacy concerns. 

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India bans 59 Chinese mobile apps

In a massive development, the Home Ministry on Monday banned 59 Chinese Apps including Tik-Tok. The Centre stated that it has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about the misuse of these apps for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India. Hence, in a move to protect the sovereignty of Indian Cyberspace and to ensure interests of crores of Indian mobile users, the government has stated that this was a major blow to China’s Digital Silk Route ambitions. This move comes amid the escalated tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

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Chinese Embassy responds to ban 

Responding to the government's decision to ban 59 mobile apps, the Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in India, Ji Rong stated that the neighbouring nation is 'seriously concerned' and 'firmly opposed' to the action taken. Rong has alleged that the ban is 'selective and discriminatory' and is also not conducive to consumer interests, adding that it 'violates' the WTO rules. Moreover, the Chinese embassy Counselor has urged the Indian government to change its 'discriminatory practices' and maintain the momentum of China-India economic and trade cooperation. 

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