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China calls on the US to lift sanctions against tech suppliers
China is demanding Monday that Washington lift the export restrictions levied on Chinese firms in the current round of deteriorating technology, security and human rights conflicts.
The foreign ministry accused the Trump administration of interference in Chinese affairs by adding eight companies accused of playing a role in the crackdown in its Muslim northwestern region of Xinjiang to the export blacklist.
Washington also imposed controls on access to American technology on 24 companies and government-linked entities that indicated that they might be involved in the acquisition of goods with potential military uses.
The U.S. decision "violated the basic norms of international relations" and "harmed China's interests," said Zhao Lijian, the minister's spokesman.
"We urge the United States to correct its mistakes, to overturn the relevant decision and to stop interference in China's internal affairs," Zhao said.
The measure announced Friday the expansion of the U.S. campaign against Chinese companies, including tech giant Huawei, which Washington says could be a security threat.
Beijing criticized the restrictions imposed earlier on Huawei Technologies Ltd. and other companies, including Hikvision Digital Technology Ltd., a supplier of video security products. It has yet to say whether it will retaliate.
One corporation called Friday in conjunction with Xinjiang is accused of "engaging in human rights abuses," the Commerce Department said. The others are accused of "enabling high-tech surveillance of China" in the region.
One of the hardware suppliers, CloudWalk Hardware Ltd., which produces facial recognition devices, said that such "unfair treatment" would affect American companies and global growth.
China's emerging technology industries are developing their own processor chips, software and other products, but they need U.S., European and Japanese components and technology for smartphones and other devices, as well as for manufacturing processes.
Aksu Huafu Textiles Co., a company accused of human rights violations, said in a statement that the U.S. decision "recklessly ignores the facts." The company said it would not be affected because any American materials could be replaced by Chinese sources.
Other companies did not respond to questions on Monday about how they might be affected.
The decision to add companies to the Commerce Department's Entity List limits their access to U.S. components and technology by requiring government export permits.
U.S. officials complain that Beijing 's technology development is based, at least in part, on stolen foreign know-how and could undermine U.S. industrial leadership or threaten the security of its neighbors.
Complaints over Beijing's technological advances caused President Donald Trump to increase tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018, sparking a tariff war on global trade. The two governments signed a truce in January, but Trump vowed to back off if China refused to buy further American exports.
Other companies cited Friday as "representing a significant risk of supporting the procurement of military end-use items in China," the Commerce Department said.
The popular name on this list is Qihoo 360, a big supplier of anti-virus applications and a web browser. On its social media account, Qihoo 360 accused the Commerce Department of "business politicization" and commercial research and development. Companies, including Huawei, that have been targeted by earlier U.S. sanctions deny that they are a threat. Chinese officials accuse Washington of using false security warnings to block rising US tech-industry competitors.
Another blacklisted company, CloudMinds Technology Co., a manufacturer of Internet-linked robots, said that all its products are designed for civilian use. "It appealed to the U.S. government to stop this unfair treatment on its social media account.
