The US government added more Chinese companies to blacklist the Commerce Department's on Wednesday, citing national security and foreign policy concerns.
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Of the new additions, eight are China-based technology companies that the government says are helping the Chinese military develop quantum computing and other applications.
Chinese companies and organizations have repeatedly come into conflict with the US government. US officials have repeatedly stated that Chinese companies are affiliated with the People's Republic of China and collect sensitive information on behalf of the People's Liberation Army. For its part, the Chinese Communist Party has stated that it is not involved in industrial espionage.
The US Department of Commerce has also blacklisted several entities and individuals operating in China and Pakistan for aiding and abetting the development of Pakistan's nuclear activities or its ballistic missile program.
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In total, the Biden added 27 entities and individuals located in the People's Republic of China, Pakistan, Russia, Japan, and Singapore.
“Global trade and commerce should support peace and prosperity, not risks to national security,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo wrote in a statement. “The Department of Commerce is committed to using controls effectively to protect our national security.”
The addition of companies to the Commerce Department's list brings trade restrictions to individuals and entities believed to be engaged in adverse or unethical activity.
The Ministry of Commerce announced that Hangzhou Zhongke Microelectronics Co Ltd, Hunan Goke Microelectronics, New H3C Semiconductor Technologies Co Ltd, Xi'an Aerospace Huaxun Technology and Yunchip Microelectronics were included in the blacklist, "for their support for the modernization of the People's Liberation Army."
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Also added to the same list were the Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, as well as the companies QuantumCTek and Shanghai QuantumCTeck Co Ltd “for acquiring and attempting to acquire materials of American origin to support military applications.”
The eight Chinese companies were included on the list to prevent the use of American technology in the development of tools and systems that would be useful to China's armed forces.
