the Biden administration announced new trade restrictions on five Chinese companies for allegedly aiding in the repression of the Uyghur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region. Four of the companies are affiliated with the Chinese surveillance camera maker Hikvision, including Luopu Haishi Dingxin Electronic Technology Co, Moyu Haishi Electronic Technology Co, Pishan Haishi Yong’an Electronic Technology Co, and Urumqi Haishi Xin’an Electronic Technology Co. Yutian Haishi Meitian Electronic Technology Co Ltd was also added to the list. The companies have been accused of being implicated in human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance against Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups. As a result, US suppliers must obtain a special and difficult-to-obtain license before shipping goods to these companies.
The Chinese government rejected the accusations and called them “lies” aimed at constraining China. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning accused the United States of politicizing normal business and economic cooperation and destabilizing Xinjiang. She also stated that China would take all necessary measures to defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese firms. The US has increasingly used the entity list to target Chinese firms, and Hikvision was placed on the U.S. trade blacklist in 2019 for similar allegations of human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang.
