Washington claims the Chinese companies were targeted for their attempt to use advanced knowledge in artificial intelligence, supercomputing, and quantum technology for military objectives, according to the Associated Press.
Among the most notable companies affected are six subsidiaries of Inspur Group, a leading provider of cloud computing and big data services.
The Inspur Group is just one of nearly 80 firms and institutions added to the sanctions list by the Department of Commerce, which also includes entities from Iran, Taiwan, Pakistan, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The move is part of Washington’s efforts to limit Beijing’s capacity to develop advanced technologies and its hypersonic arms program.
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick was quoted by the media as saying that the U.S. will not permit enemies to “exploit American technology to enhance their military capabilities.”
Additionally, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler said that the aim of these sanctions is to prevent the use of U.S. technologies and commodities for military aircraft training, hypersonic missiles and high-performance computing.
In response, China’s foreign ministry condemned the measure calling it an abuse meant to “unjustly suppress Chinese enterprises” and said that Beijing will take appropriate action to protect its legitimate rights and interests, as reported by Reuters.
The Chinese embassy in Washington also urged the U.S. to cease using military issues as an excuse to politicize trade.
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