BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Government blacklisted four Chinese nuclear power companies, accusing them of helping to acquire advanced U.S. technology for Chinese military.
The Bureau of Industry and Security under the Department of Commerce added China General Nuclear Power Group and its subsidiaries China General Nuclear Power Corp., or CGNPC, China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute Co., and Suzhou Nuclear Power Research Institute Co. to the Entity List.
The Chinese companies are alleged to be engaging in or enabling efforts to acquire advanced U.S. nuclear technology and material for diversion to military uses in China.
These are among 17 companies listed in a Federal Register notice published Wednesday for 'acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States'.
The other blacklisted companies are located in Armenia, Belgium, Canada, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Russia, the U.A.E. and the U.K.
The BIS bars U.S. companies from doing business with the blacklisted firms unless they are given license by the U.S. government.
Last year, the Trump administration had imposed restrictions on exports of nuclear-related U.S. technology to China expressing concern that its Communist government is illegally diverting it for the advantage of its military and other unauthorized purposes.
Earlier this year, a bipartisan bill to tackle technology-specific threats to US national security, posed by foreign countries like China, was introduced in the Senate.
The United States is currently facing national security threats from improper acquisition and transfer of critical technologies by foreign countries and reliance on foreign products. The most potential threat was identified in technologies manufactured by Chinese telecom giants ZTE and Huawei, which jeopardize the overall security of private sector supply chains.
The Congress has serious concerns about using these companies' telecommunications equipment in U.S. communication systems as well as global 5G infrastructure.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX