Rising tensions in the disputed border between India and China has prompted the Middle Eastern country's government to ban 118 Chinese applications from its domestic market. The move comes after an Indian soldier's death due to a Chinese land mine earlier this week.
Banned Chinese apps
The Indian government has moved to block several Chinese apps as retaliation against China in the most recent events of border disputes between the two countries. The move restricts Indian citizens from gaining easy access to the affected apps, including the popular online video game "PlayerUnknown's Battleground," which has more than 50 million of its users based in India.
According to Indian Express, a few of the Chinese-based app that India has banned, including Baidu, Alipay, and some versions of WeChat, an online messaging app, are controlled by some of China's largest internet companies, including Tencent and Ant Financial. Many of these tech-giants view India as an excellent opportunity for the growth of their companies.
On Wednesday, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology released a statement that said the decision was made in an effort to ensure the country's cyberspace is kept safe, secure, and maintains its sovereignty.
The two countries have long been engaged in brutal and sometimes fatal border disputes for several months. The conflict has deep roots that go back decades, and in June, tensions rose even higher after Chinese soldiers killed 20 Indian soldiers in a vicious bare-handed brawl.
Both India and China have deployed thousands of reinforcements to support their troops stationed in the border's frontlines, which stretches for 2,100 miles and goes through the Himalayas and several other mountain ranges.
The infantries are escorted by powerful tanks, artillery, helicopters, and fighter jets along the borders' routes.
Also Read: India-China Out-Build Each Other at Highly Disputed Himalayan Border, Constructs Roads, Rail Links
Rising tensions in the border dispute
After the deadly clashes in June, where hundreds of soldiers from both sides battled each other with whatever they could find on the battlefield, the Indian government moved to ban 59 Chinese mobile apps from its domestic market. The list includes TikTok, ShareIt, and WeChat, stating security risks as its reason for the decision, as reported by The New York Times.
As Indian officials restricted its citizens' access to the China-based apps, a surge of anti-China sentiment rushed across the nation where citizens roam the streets and destroying China-made items, including televisions, plastic tricycles, and other products manufactured by the Asian country in a vivid display of their anger and resentment.
The Indian government on Wednesday released an extended list of banned apps that included PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) and other popular gaming apps such as Rise of Kingdoms and Zakzak.
Officials revealed that they made the decision in consideration of the multiple reports they received from citizens that the apps have stolen their personal data.
The Indian government did not relate the banning of apps to the recently killed Indian soldier along the disputed border. News media outlets had widely circulated the personnel's death. Still, officials have refused to provide additional details of the incident and did not confirm that it has even lost a soldier.
Several military officers claim that the deceased soldier was a member of a covert group of exiled Tibetans in India who are used during high-altitude warfare.
