Trump bans eight more apps in escalating tensions with China

Outgoing US president Donald Trump signed the order banning transactions with eight Chinese software apps. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

US president Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group’s Alipay mobile payment app, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing two weeks before president-elect Joe Biden takes office.

The move is aimed at curbing the threat to Americans posed by Chinese software applications, which have large user bases and access to sensitive data, a senior administration official told Reuters.