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US bans DJI over Alleged Aiding Human Rights Abuses

U.S. curbs Chinese drone maker DJI, other firms over accusing them of complicity in the oppression of China's Uyghur minority or helping the military

US Bans China's DJI over Alleged Aiding Human Rights Abuses

The United States government imposed export and investment restrictions on several Chinese companies, including significant drone maker company DJI over the accusations of complicity in the cruelty of the Chinese Uyghur minority or helping the Chinese military. It further intensifies tensions between the top two economies of the world. The United States Treasury Department blamed DJI and seven other tech companies for helping the biometric surveillance and following of Uyghurs and added them to the list of alleged Chinese military links, banning the U.S. nationals from trading in their securities.

The U.S Commerce Department added that the Academy of Military Medical Sciences of China and its eleven research institutes trade a trade ban, restricting access to American exports. In addition, it said the academy uses biotechnology for army uses, like supposed brain-controlled weaponry. The Chinese military newspaper initially used the term to outline future warfare to describe military equipment that interferes with and can control human consciousness during the war.

BGI is Conducting Genetic Research on Military Members

Recently, Reuters reported that the academy’s head of brain science’ four-year project included the most prominent gene firm of China, BGI, conducting genetic research on military members at high altitudes in Tibet. Last year, the U.S. put two BGI Group companies on the trade blocklist. In addition, the department stated that HMN International, previously Jiangsu Hengtong OpticElectric, Huawei Marine, Zhongtian Technology Submarine Cable, Jiangsu Heng tong Marine Cable Systems, and Shanghai Aoshi Control Technology Co, Ltd to the blocklist over American allegations of obtaining or trying to acquire, the tech from the U.S. to help modernize the Chinese army.

Unwarranted Suppression

China’s embassy in Washington called the U.S. recent actions unjustified suppression that violated global free trade rules, adding that China would take all crucial moves to uphold the interests of Chinese subsidiaries and research institutions. Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson, said in an email that Chinese development and the progress of biotechnology have always been for the welfare of human beings. Therefore, the latest claims of the United States are totally baseless.

Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, told a regular press briefing that China strongly opposed the latest American moves and urged America to fix its wrong ways. On the other hand, A DJI spokesperson denied commenting on the United States announcement but directed to the firm’s official statement when the U.S. Commerce Department placed it on the American entity list one year ago for the same allegations. That move stopped it from using or acquiring United States components or technology.

US bans DJI over Alleged Aiding Human Rights Abuses
US bans DJI over Alleged Aiding Human Rights Abuses
Source: Web

At that time, DJI expressed that it had done nothing to justify the American move and would continue to sell products in the U.S. Right groups and United Nations experts approximate that over one million people, specifically Muslim Uyghurs and other minorities, detained in recent years in Xinjiang imprisoned camps. However, Beijing denies rights abuses in Xinjiang and retaliated against American interference in its affairs, pledging to protect its firms against United States sanctions.

The U.S. Can’t Allow Technologies to Use Against American Security

Gina Raimondo, the U.S. Commerce Secretary, said that Beijing used biotechnologies to pursue control over the Chinese public and suppress members of religious and ethnic minority groups. Furthermore, she stated that the U.S. couldn’t allow American technologies, commodities, and software that support biotechnical innovation and medical science to deliver toward uses against American security.

The Senate approved the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act on Thursday. Besides the United States, President Joe Biden assured to sign the bill into law. The bill would bar imports from the Xinjiang region of China over concerns of forced labor. Likewise, the Trump government added Huawei Technologies, the telecommunications equipment company of China, into the entity list in 2019.

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