Perhaps those apps can be unbanned in China to prevent all the inconvenience created by the WeChat ban in the US. I understand all those apps don't have the same set of features (payment, news, etc) but should suffice for basic communication needs, and I'm sure that's what is most important to friends and family abroad.
Well obviously that will never happen. It just sucks for those of us with friends in China where all we want to do is keep in contact. I blame China more than the US but this whole fight for control over communication platforms is so annoying and leaves most of us helpless.