Biden Sanctions 319 Chinese Companies... Surpassing Trump's Record

Record Sanctions by Any US Administration
"Caught Trying to Supply AI Chips to Chinese Military"

The Joe Biden administration has added more Chinese companies to the blacklist than any previous U.S. administration, Bloomberg reported on the 11th (local time).

According to the report, the U.S. Department of Commerce added 6 more Chinese companies to the blacklist on this day, following the addition of 8 companies in February. This brings the total number of Chinese companies blacklisted under the Biden administration to 319, surpassing the record of 306 companies set by former President Donald Trump, who engaged in a fierce trade war with China.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The U.S. Department of Commerce stated in a press release, "Among the six companies sanctioned today, four purchased U.S. products to support China's military modernization." It added, "One other company supported Russian military procurement, and the sixth company attempted to assist in purchasing drone parts for Iran." Notably, the four companies found to have ties with China were discovered to have supplied artificial intelligence (AI) chips to the Chinese military.

The report described this record-setting list of sanctions against China as a milestone demonstrating how the Biden administration is restricting China's access to advanced technologies, including semiconductor chips. Especially amid increasing Chinese aggression toward Taiwan, there is growing concern in Washington that China might use U.S. semiconductor technology to strengthen its military capabilities.

Alfredo Montufar-Hellu, head of the China Center at the private U.S. economic research organization The Conference Board, explained, "A tough stance on China, including restrictions on technology access, is a bipartisan consensus in the U.S. Both Biden and Trump have incentives to show during election periods that they are tough on China."

Meanwhile, China retaliated by freezing the assets and visas of executives from two U.S. companies. He Yadong, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, criticized at a briefing held in Beijing that day, "The U.S. sanctions on Chinese companies are typical economic coercion and unilateral harassment." He added, "The U.S. must immediately correct its mistakes and stop unjust suppression of Chinese companies," and declared, "China will take all necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its companies."