BEIJING (AP) — The United States on Friday blacklisted six Chinese entities it said were linked to Beijing’s aerospace programs as part of retaliation for an alleged Chinese spy balloon that crossed over U.S. airspace.
The economic restrictions followed a pledge by the Biden administration to consider broader efforts to address surveillance activities in China and will make it harder for the five companies and a research institute to obtain exports of American technology.
The move risks further escalating the diplomatic row between the United States and China over the balloon, which was shot down last weekend off the Carolina coast. The US said the balloon was equipped to detect and gather intelligence signals, but Beijing insists it was a weather craft that went off course.
The incident prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly cancel a high-risk trip to Beijing aimed at reducing tensions.
The US Office of Industry and Security said the six entities were targeted for their “support for China’s military modernization efforts, particularly the aerospace programs of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), including aircraft and balloons.”
“The PLA uses high altitude balloons (HABs) for intelligence and reconnaissance activities,” he said.
Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves said on Twitter that his department “will not hesitate to continue to use” such restrictions and other regulatory and enforcement tools “to protect the national security and sovereignty of the United States.”
The six entities are Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology Co., China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 48th Research Institute, Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology Co., Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group Co., Guangzhou Tian-Hai-Xiang Aviation Technology Co. and Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group Co.
The research institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The other five entities could not be reached.
On Friday, a US military fighter jet shot down an unidentified object flying off the north coast of Alaska on the orders of President Joe Biden. The object was shot down because it apparently posed a threat to the safety of civilian flights, rather than knowing it was involved in surveillance.
But the twin incidents in such close succession reflect heightened concerns about China’s surveillance program and public pressure on Biden to take a hard line against it.
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