The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security on Friday added six Chinese companies to a sanctions blacklist for being a «national security threat» as a result of tension between Washington and Beijing over the incursion of a hot air balloon into U.S. airspace.
The U.S. Commerce Department has sanctioned six Chinese companies for being entities linked to the People’s Liberation Army’s aerospace programs, including blimps, balloons and other related components used by the military for «intelligence and reconnaissance work» that runs counter to U.S. interests and security.
As a result of this sanction, the six Chinese companies included in this list of entities are prohibited from obtaining U.S. goods and technologies without prior authorization or a license from the U.S. Government. In addition, the statement added, this sanction «sends a clear message to companies, governments and other interested parties» that these entities represent «a threat to national security».
However, the Department of Commerce has not specified to what extent these six companies are linked to U.S. exporters or to what extent their operations will be affected by the restrictions.
The six sanctioned companies 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.
«China’s use of high-altitude balloons violates our sovereignty and threatens U.S. national security,» Under Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said in the letter.
This week, U.S. intelligence linked the alleged Chinese spy balloon shot down last Saturday to a major surveillance program orchestrated by China’s military, which is why it has warned its allies about the Asian giant’s maneuvers.
In addition to the United States, China has flown surveillance balloons over military assets in countries and areas of emerging strategic interest for the Asian giant, including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines, according to senior U.S. officials told the newspaper ‘The Washington Post’.
The balloon was first spotted last week over Montana and crossed the country to the east coast until it reached the Atlantic, where it was finally shot down by the U.S. Army on the orders of President Joe Biden.
For its part, the Government of China confirmed that the balloon located by U.S. authorities in the airspace of the U.S. country was its property, but qualified its «civilian nature» and its purpose for «scientific research» and strongly condemned the downing of the device.
A second Chinese balloon was located last week over Latin America, a sighting confirmed by the Colombian Air Force and which led Costa Rica to send its complaints to the Government of China. Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, indicated that this second balloon would have entered «by mistake» in the airspace of several countries, insisting that Beijing respects international law and «does not represent any threat to any country».
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
