Statement from National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien on the Executive Order Addressing Chinese Software Applications

January 6, 2021
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 5, 2021
Statement from National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien on the Executive Order Addressing Chinese Software Applications

Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order addressing the continuing threat posed by Chinese software applications.  The Chinese government requires that all commercial companies, big and small, support the Chinese Communist Party’s political objectives as Chinese regulators have recently demonstrated. 

China’s Military-Civil Fusion strategy explicitly aims to co-opt or coerce civilian enterprises into assisting the People’s Liberation Army.  This executive order tasks the Secretary of Commerce to identify prohibited transactions involving eight Chinese software applications, including payment services; directs the Secretary of Commerce to identify and take appropriate action against other software applications; and develops a program to control the export of exploitable United States user data to foreign adversaries. 

President Trump continues to prioritize the safety and security of the United States homeland and the American people.