China accuses the US of attacking corporations after export restrictions

China has accused Washington of improperly focusing on Chinese language corporations after genetic testing large BGI Group and 17 others have been restricted from accessing US know-how on safety or human rights grounds

From

JOE McDONALD AP enterprise author

March 3, 2023 at 5:20 am ET

• 2 minutes studying time

BEIJING — China on Friday accused Washington of improperly focusing on Chinese language corporations after genetic evaluation large BGI Group and 17 others confronted restrictions on entry to U.S. know-how over safety or human rights considerations.

The Commerce Division mentioned it noticed a danger that two BGI items may contribute to the federal government’s surveillance equipment, which human rights teams say is making an attempt to create a database of genetic samples that Muslims and different minorities have been compelled to supply.

Different corporations have been cited by Iran and Pakistan for his or her function in army modernization or weapons improvement by the ruling Communist Occasion, and allegations of human rights abuses in Myanmar.

Washington has accused China of making an attempt to make use of civilian corporations to acquire processor chips, spacecraft and different know-how that can be utilized to make weapons. Beijing replies that the US authorities is making an attempt to cease potential industrial rivals.

America is “making up excuses to suppress Chinese language corporations,” mentioned State Division spokeswoman Mao Ning. She urged Washington to “abandon ideological prejudice” and “cease utilizing varied excuses to unduly repress Chinese language corporations.”

Mao mentioned Beijing will “firmly defend the official rights” of its corporations, however gave no indication of attainable retaliation. The federal government has made comparable statements following earlier US restrictions, however usually fails to take motion.

BGI Analysis and BGI Tech Options (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. have been positioned on an “entity listing” that requires them to acquire authorities approval to accumulate delicate US know-how.

Their genetic evaluation “poses a major danger of contributing to minority surveillance and oppression,” the Commerce Division mentioned. There’s a “important danger of diversion” to army applications.

BGI Group didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

BGI beforehand denied allegations that it supplied know-how to watch Uyghurs and different Muslim minorities in northwest China.

Beijing retaliated for earlier US restrictions by creating its personal listing of “unreliable entities” of international corporations that would threaten China’s nationwide sovereignty, safety or improvement pursuits.

The Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Applied sciences Corp.’s Raytheon Missiles and Protection Unit. have been blacklisted final month after supplying arms to Taiwan, the island democracy claimed by Beijing as a part of its territory. They’re prohibited from importing items into China or making new investments within the nation.

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