The US adds 37 Chinese companies to the trade restrictions list in 2023 because of the spy balloon incident

NEW DELHI: The Biden administration on Friday added 37 Chinese companies to the trade restrictions list linked to the alleged spy balloon incident that occurred over the United States last year.

Amid rising tensions between Beijing and Washington, the U.S. Commerce Department said it was adding some units of the Chinese electronics technology group to the list for allegedly attempting to procure American technology to support China’s quantum technology capabilities, “which has serious national security implications.” the USA has”. due to their military application.

The Biden administration also added some Chinese companies to the list on Thursday because they sought to acquire American goods to make drones for the Chinese military and others, as well as ship controlled goods to Russia.

Several media reports say that China Electronics Technology Group is a leading supplier of military equipment.

The moves announced Thursday show the Biden administration continuing to punish Beijing over the spy balloon that floated over the United States in February 2023, which fueled political outrage in Washington and prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a trip to China.

This month, the Commerce Department added five companies and a research institute to the entity list because they “supported China’s military modernization efforts, particularly the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aerospace programs, including airships and balloons.”

China’s Foreign Ministry said a weather balloon deviated from its intended path and criticized the United States for overreacting.

The United States is aggressively using the trade restriction list, also known as the entity list, to restrict technology transfers to China because of fears that Beijing could use it to bolster its military strength.

Inclusion on the list will make it more difficult for US suppliers to supply the specified companies.


( with input from the agency)