US puts trade curbs on 5 Chinese firms over alleged role in Uyghur repression

The Biden administration on Tuesday imposed new trade restrictions on five Chinese companies for allegedly aiding in the repression of the Uyghur Muslim minority but China rejected the accusation as “lies” aimed at constraining it, Reuters reported.

According to Hikvision’s 2021 half-year report, at least four of the companies facing new curbs belong to the Chinese surveillance camera maker 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.

The companies “have been implicated in human rights violations and abuses in the implementation of China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention and high-technology surveillance against the Uyghur people and members of other Muslim minority groups,” in the Xinjiang region, the Commerce Department said in a posting in the Federal Register.

Reuters reported that the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning had said the United States “wantonly suppresses Chinese firms with lies and politicises normal business and economic cooperation” and its move is aimed at destabilising Xinjiang and using the issues to constrain China.