U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps, including Alipay, the payment app affiliated with Alibaba, and Tencent-owned WeChat Pay, describing the companies as national security threats.
The ban is to take effect in 45 days, nearly a month after Trump is due to leave office.
The executive order will prohibit any transaction between U.S.-based individuals or companies and eight Chinese apps, including Alipay and WeChat Pay, the two most popular payment apps in China.
The order also prohibits U.S.-based transactions with Tencent-owned messaging app QQ and digital payment app QQ Walley, image scanner app CamScanner, file transfer tool SHAREit, camera app VMate, and WPS Office, the Chinese equivalent of Microsoft Office.
The definition of "transaction" will be clarified by the Secretary of Commerce, also in 45 days, according to the White House announcement. Trump issued the orders under powers contained in the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
