The White House has added dozens more Chinese and Pakistani firms to its blacklist for suspected support of the Chinese military and Pakistani nuclear efforts. The Biden Administration argued that a blacklist will prevent these companies from "acquiring and attempting to acquire U.S.-origin items in support of military applications".
"Global trade and commerce should support peace, prosperity, and good-paying jobs, not national security risks," U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo wrote in a statement. "The Department of Commerce is committed to effectively using export controls to protect our national security."
U.S. officials have long been afraid of the potential industrial espionage allegedly committed by Chinese firms, arguing that Chinese firms are beholden to the Chinese Communist Party and can be used to gather sensitive information on its behalf. Specifically, U.S. officials are concerned about the development of Chinese quantum computing abilities which could support "counter-stealth and counter-submarine applications."
Chinese officials spoke out against the blacklist, with officials from the Chinese embassy in Washington stating that the U.S. "uses the catch-all concept of national security and abuses state power to suppress and restrict Chinese enterprises in all possible means."
"China is firmly opposed to that," Liu Pengyu, the embassy spokesperson, added.
The new additions to the blacklist include those allegedly working in "support of the military modernization of the People's Liberation Army", including Hangzhou Zhongke Microelectronics Co Ltd, Hunan Goke Microelectronics, New H3C Semiconductor Technologies Co Ltd, Xi'an Aerospace Huaxun Technology, and Yunchip Microelectronics.
The additions also include Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, QuantumCTek, and Shanghai QuantumCTeck Co Ltd, each of which is suspected of attempting to utilize U.S.-made items in military efforts.
The blacklist isn't limited to Chinese firms or companies involved with the Chinese military. 16 entities were implicated in possible support of Pakistan's ballistic missile program or nuclear development. In total, 27 firms were added to the list, including firms based in China, Pakistan, Russia, Japan, and Singapore.
The tension between the U.S. and China increased greatly during the Trump Administration, and so far those tensions have yet to be relieved. While some peaceful overtures have been made, including a recent virtual summit and climate collaboration, the White House is maintaining its aggressive stance against Chinese firms.
According to Chinese officials, the country "will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies." Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that the White House had "abused state power" in order to suppress Chinese advancement in the name of national security.
