New Chinese Firms To Be Added To US Blacklist Over Xinjiang


07/09/2021



Ten more Chinese companies and other entities are to be added to an economic blacklist of the United States by the Biden administration this week over allegations of these companies and entities being involved in human rights abuses and high-tech surveillance in Xinjiang, said reports quoting source information.
 
Last month, the US Commerce Department had announced the addition of five other Chinese entities to the blacklist as they were accused of being associated with forced labour in Xinjiang province in China.
 
This latest step by the Biden administration of adding new firms and entities to the Commerce Department's Entity List are part of the ongoing efforts of holding China accountable for human rights violations within the country.
 
According to reports, there is no clarity on the exact number of entities and their identities that were set to be added to the list. Reports also said that companies from some other countries are also slated to be added to the list of entities.
 
There were no comments on the issue from the White House declined and the US Commerce Department.
 
Earlier on June 4, Biden issued an executive order that listed 59 Chinese companies that would be banned from receiving any form of US investment because of their suspected ties with the Chinese military and to defense or surveillance technology sectors.
 
According to the order, there can be no US investments in these companies with wider aim of preventing any US investments being used for supporting military-industrial complex, including military, intelligence and security research and development programs, in China.
 
"I find that the use of Chinese surveillance technology outside the PRC and the development or use of Chinese surveillance technology to facilitate repression or serious human rights abuse constitute unusual and extraordinary threats," Biden said.
 
(Source:www.reuters.com & www.asia.nikkei.com)