5 Chinese companies and a research institute blacklisted by U.S. over spy balloon program

As part of its retaliation against China over the alleged spy balloon that flew across U.S. airspace last week, the U.S. has blacklisted six Chinese entities it says were linked to Beijing's aerospace programs.

The economic restrictions announced Friday followed the Biden administration's pledge to consider broader efforts to address Chinese surveillance activities and will make it more difficult for the five companies and one research institute to obtain American technology exports.

The move is likely to further escalate the diplomatic row between the U.S. and China sparked by the balloon, which was shot down last weekend off the Carolina coast. The U.S. said the balloon was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals, but Beijing insists it was a weather craft that had blown off course.