WeChat says it complies with all Indian regulations

The messaging platform WeChat a product that Tencent provides to its overseas users has always complied with all relevant local laws and regulations, Tencent, spokesman Hu Chunnan told state run Global Times Beijing.

He was reacting to reports in Indian media that it faces a likely ban due to security concerns.

The issue will be reviewed before a final decision is taken on whether or not to block access to such services like WeChat, the Global Times quoted an unnamed Indian official as saying.

"But it is too premature to say whether this application will be banned," the official said.

Like WhatsApp and BlackBerry Messenger, WeChat, which recently launched its India operations, is a platform that relies on the Internet to allow users to exchange text, pictures or voice messages.

It is reported to have 300 million users in China ever since it was launched in 2011.

There was already reports that plans are afoot to collect nominal fee for its usage.

The daily quoted an unidentified Indian Telecom Department of Telecom official as saying "whenever Chinese telecommunications companies come into the fray in India, there is always a bit of controversy following it".

Another unnamed official from India's Department of Commerce said there were concerns about Chinese competition in the market.

Similar concerns were voiced earlier about China's telecom firms like Huawei and ZTE when they entered the Indian market in a big way and the issue subsided after they agreed to provide security codes of their equipment.