US expands economic blacklist, China condemns “unreasonable suppression” Reuters

Shanghai (Reuters)-China stated on Sunday that it “resolutely opposes” the addition of 23 Chinese entities to the US economic blacklist for reasons including suspected human rights violations and military relations.

The Ministry of Commerce stated in a statement that the inclusion of Chinese entities is a “serious violation of international economic and trade rules” and an “unreasonable suppression” of Chinese companies.

It quoted the spokesperson as saying that Beijing “will take necessary measures to safeguard China’s legitimate rights and interests.”

The U.S. Department of Commerce said on Friday that it had added 14 companies and other entities to its economic blacklist, stating that they were “involved in violations and violations of human rights in the implementation of Chinese repression, mass detention, and high-tech surveillance campaigns.” Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other members of the Muslim minority in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. “

Beijing denies any alleged abuse of power.

Entities on the economic blacklist usually need to apply for a license from the Department of Commerce and face strict scrutiny when seeking permission to receive goods from US suppliers.

Washington also added five entities that allegedly directly support China’s military modernization programs related to lasers and battle management systems.It identified four other entities “exporting and attempting to export items” to entities that have been sanctioned by the United States

One of the new entities, Wuhan Ruike Fiber Laser Technology Co., Ltd., stated in an exchange document on Sunday that adding it to the economic blacklist will not have a significant impact on its research and production.

In 2019, the Ministry of Commerce under the leadership of then President Donald Trump targeted China’s treatment of Muslim minorities, targeting 20 Chinese Public Security Bureaus and 8 companies including the video surveillance company Hikvision , As well as face recognition technology leaders Shangtang Technology and Megvii Technology Co., Ltd. attacked.