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China’s Foreign Ministry protests to Canada for banning WeChat app on government phones

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin clarified that the government of Canada applies restrictions against Chinese companies "justifying this with data protection while providing no evidence"

BEIJING, October 31. /TASS/. Beijing is unhappy with Canada for banning China's WeChat app on Canadian government devices, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin stated.

"The Canadian government is abusing its power as a state apparatus by putting pressure on businesses in some countries without any sound reason. China strongly opposes such actions," the official stressed at a briefing, responding to a French journalist who asked for comments on the introduction of a ban on WeChat in Canadian state structures.

The spokesman clarified that the government of Canada applies restrictions against Chinese companies "justifying this with data protection while providing no evidence". "This is the typical distortion of state security," the official added. "We hope that Canada will discard ideological prejudices, continue to follow the principles of the market economy and provide Chinese companies with a fair and non-discriminatory business environment."

On October 30, the government of Canada banned officials from using WeChat on government devices. The decision was made on the grounds of protecting national security.

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