Trump signs order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps including Alipay

FILE PHOTO: A logo of the electronic payment service Alipay that belongs to Ant Group Co Ltd is seen at a vending machine in Beijing, China December 30, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, including Ant Group's Alipay, the White House said, escalating tensions with Beijing before President-elect Joe Biden takes office this month.

The order, first reported by Reuters, tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well.