Following the trilateral summit, the US Commerce Department sanctioned four Chinese companies for allegedly assisting the Chinese military.
The blacklisted firms include Linkzol (Beijing) Technology Co, Xi’an Like Innovative Information Technology Co, Beijing Anwise Technology Co, and SITONHOLY (Tianjin) Co., according to the Commerce Department. This week, the US Commerce Department added 11 new companies to its Entity List. This means they will be unable to use American goods and technology.
The US Commerce Department accused all four companies of providing artificial intelligence (AI) chips to the Chinese military. This is part of the US government’s endeavor to prevent the Chinese military from using crucial American technology.
How did China react to it?
China, on the other hand, denied the claims, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning condemning them as attempts to “contain and suppress” Chinese enterprises. China pledged to take the “necessary steps” to preserve its interests.
The US also imposed export restrictions on five other companies, claiming they were supporting drone manufacturing in reaction to Iran’s assaults in the Red Sea and Russia’s bombings in Ukraine.
China sanctioned US defense firms
Earlier this week, China barred top officials from two US defence companies from visiting the country and froze their assets in reaction to their arms sales to Taiwan.
The penalties went into force on Thursday and targeted General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which manufactures unmanned aerial systems, and General Dynamics Land Systems, a subsidiary of General Dynamics.
China said that the arms sales “seriously interfere” in its internal affairs and “damages” its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The continued sale of arms by the United States to China’s Taiwan region is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three joint communiqués of the United States and China,” the statement added.
