US blacklists 34 Chinese entities over ties to alleged human rights abuses and IP theft

• U.S. added 34 Chinese institutions to the Entity List for oppressing Uyghurs and national security reasons

• Beijing denies the accusation of human rights violation and theft of intellectual property

U.S. Commerce Department on Thursday said it imposed trade restrictions on 34 Chinese entities and research institutes, citing human rights violations in oppressing Uyghurs and national security reasons.

Washington accused China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences and 11 subsidiary research institutes of using biotechnology to support the Chinese military, including “purported brain-control weaponry,” the Federal Register notice mentioned.

However, the notice does not elaborate further on the alleged brain-control weaponry.

The move followed Washington adding Chinese AI and facial recognition firm, SenseTime, along with 25 other entities, into the restriction list last week, citing human rights violations.

Biden administration also imposed an investment ban SenseTime, accusing the company of developing facial recognition technology, which is being used in human rights abuses against the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang province, forcing the company to postpone its Hong Kong IPO worth $767 million.

Abuse of Uyghurs

Referring to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and human rights abuses in Xinjiang, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo wrote, “The scientific pursuit of biotechnology and medical innovation can save lives. Unfortunately, the PRC is choosing to use these technologies to pursue control over its people and its repression of members of ethnic and religious minority groups.”

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Earlier, the U.S. State Department described the abuse of Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang as “widespread, state-sponsored forced labor” and “mass detention.”

The White House, earlier this month, said no official delegation would be sent to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, citing “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses.”

Beijing repeatedly denies the accusation.

National security

The Commerce Department listed four other Chinese corporations, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 52nd Research Institute, Shaanxi Reactor Microelectronics, Shanghai AisinoChip Electronics, and Hangzhou Hikmicro Sensing Technology to its Entity List.

These entities were accused of their role in modernizing China’s military, which runs contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.

HMN International, Jiangsu Hengtong Marine Cable Systems, Jiangsu Hengtong Optic-Electric, Shanghai Aoshi Control Technology, and Zhongtian Technology Submarine Cable were also added to the list for allegedly “acquiring or attempting to acquire technology from the United States to help modernize the People’s Liberation Army.”

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The U.S. government has long criticized that intellectual property theft by China has threatened national security and cost the American economy billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs.

However, Beijing maintains its stance that it does not engage in intellectual property theft.

Other entities

The Commerce Department also took action against six entities from Georgia, Malaysia and Turkey for allegedly “diverting or attempting to divert U.S. items to Iran’s military programs.”

“Specifically, these entities are a part of a network used to supply or attempt to supply Iran with U.S-origin items that would ultimately provide material support to Iran’s defense industries, in violation of U.S. export controls,” the notice said.

Picture Credit: CNBC