Beijing slams tech blacklist over Xinjiang
BEIJING: China yesterday slammed a US blacklist of 28 Chinese entities allegedly implicated in rights violations of Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region, saying the claims are “groundless”.
“This act seriously violates the basic norms of international relations, interferes with China’s internal affairs and damages the interests of the Chinese side, and China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to this,” said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a press briefing.
Asked yesterday if China would retaliate over the blacklist, Mr Geng told reporters, “Stay tuned.”
He also denied that the government abused human rights in the far west region of Xinjiang.
“We urge the US side to immediately correct its mistake, withdraw the relevant decision and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs,” Mr Geng said. “China will continue to take firm and forceful measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.”
The move, which was announced after US markets closed, came on the same day negotiators from the US and China began working-level preparations for high-level talks due to begin tomorrow in Washington.
The blacklist takes President Donald Trump’s economic war against China in a new direction, marking the first time his administration has cited human rights as a reason for action. Past moves to blacklist companies such as Huawei Technologies Co have been taken on national security grounds.
The companies on the blacklist include two video surveillance companies — Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co — that by some accounts control as much as a third of the global market for video surveillance and have cameras all over the world.
Also targeted were SenseTime Group Ltd — the world’s most valuable artificial intelligence startup — and fellow AI giant Megvii Technology Ltd, which is said to be aiming to raise up to US$1 billion (about 30.42 billion baht) in a Hong Kong initial public offering.