Dozens of Chinese companies hit with US trade restrictions over 2023 spy balloon incident
CNN
The Biden administration added 37 Chinese entities to a trade restriction list on Thursday, including some for allegedly supporting the suspected spy balloon that flew over the United States last year, heightening tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Washington — The Biden administration added 37 Chinese entities to a trade restriction list on Thursday, including some for allegedly supporting the suspected spy balloon that flew over the United States last year, heightening tensions between Beijing and Washington. The Commerce Department also said it was adding some units of China Electronics Technology Group to the list for allegedly trying to obtain American technology to support China’s quantum technology capabilities, “which has serious ramifications for U.S. national security” due to their military applications. Media have said state-owned China Electronics Technology Group is a top military equipment supplier. China Electronics Technology Group could not immediately be reached for comment. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The moves announced Thursday show the Biden administration is continuing to punish Beijing over the spy balloon, which drifted over the United States in February 2023, fueling political outrage in Washington and prompting State Department Secretary Antony Blinken to cancel a trip to China. That month, the Commerce Department added five companies and one research institute to the entity list for supporting “China’s military modernization efforts, specifically the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aerospace programs including airships and balloons.”
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