37 Chinese companies under US sanctions
Last Updated on May 12, 2024 8:20 am
US has imposed sanctions on 37 Chinese technology companies. The US Commerce Department imposed the ban on Friday. The reason for the ban, cited by the US, is that these Chinese technology companies used US materials to make surveillance balloons and drones for the country’s military.
Washington-based media outlet Radio Free Asia reported that 22 of the Chinese companies sanctioned by the US have developed drones for China’s military with the cooperation of the US quantum technology sector. Eleven companies are accused of making surveillance balloons, and other companies are accused of supplying various materials to Russia for use in the Ukraine war.
A total of 355 Chinese companies have been sanctioned by the US, including these 37 companies that received new sanctions after Joe Biden took office as US president in 2021.
In a statement, the US Department of Commerce said, US sanctions against so many companies have not been imposed under any previous president. US Commerce Department Undersecretary Alan Estevez said the ban was imposed primarily because of significant national security concerns. He said these companies were using US technology for China’s military interests.
Estevez added, “Today’s action is another decisive step in addressing the challenges posed by the modernization efforts of the People’s Republic of China and its military.” We must be vigilant to prevent such companies from blocking Chinese access to US technology that could be used in ways that harm our national security.