The US Commerce Department on Wednesday added a dozen Chinese companies to a trade blacklist, saying that some of the firms have supported the modernization of China’s army.
US officials called the move part of an effort to prevent emerging US technologies from being used for quantum computing efforts that would support China’s military, such as “counter-stealth and counter-submarine applications.”
The Commerce Department also cited concerns about China’s “ability to break encryption or develop unbreakable encryption.” And it said that several entities from China and Pakistan were added to the list for contributing to Pakistan’s nuclear activities or ballistic missile program.
China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday blasted the new sanctions, saying that the country “will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.”
Spokesperson Zhao Lijian accused the United States of having “repeatedly generalized national security” and having “abused state power” to suppress Chinese enterprises.
In total, 27 foreign entities and individuals were added to the US Commerce Department’s trade blacklist. Along with the Chinese companies, other targets were based in Pakistan, Japan and Singapore.
“Global trade and commerce should support peace, prosperity, and good-paying jobs, not national security risks,” US Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo said in a statement.
— CNN’s Beijing bureau contributed to this report.