Trump signs order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese software applications, escalating tensions with Beijing before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

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

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, the official said.