OREANDA-NEWS. China continues to put pressure on its high-tech industry. According to Reuters, the PRC's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said more than 40 Chinese apps unauthorizedly collect and transmit information, including contact lists and geolocation. Among the violators are WeChat messenger, e-reader from Alibaba, several travel apps and video streaming service. They were given one week to eliminate the violations.

Another segment of the economy that has attracted the attention of the authorities is online trading. The Chinese Antimonopoly Office has published new rules that will ban Internet companies from hiding negative reviews, using algorithms to influence user choices, and collecting and analyzing competitors' trade information. The new rules are due to take effect on September 15th. Starting with Jack Ma and his financial startup Ant Group, the government has intervened in literally every sector of China's digital economy, including popular messengers and taxi services, online education, and even microelectronics.

The growth and development of Chinese high-tech is now under threat: companies have been banned from entering Western exchanges, and foreign funds are stopping investing in local companies. Development is still possible, but only within the framework designated by the authorities and in accordance with the goals of the government. Officially, China sees the country's future in areas such as artificial intelligence, microelectronics and advanced pharmaceuticals, not in food delivery or taxi services.