The Trump administration released a list of Russian and Chinese companies with alleged connections with the countries' military that prohibits them from acquiring a broad array of U.S. products and technology, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
Reuters first reported in November that the U.S. Commerce Department drafted a list of entities that it linked to the Russian or Chinese military, news that Beijing criticized.
In a statement, the Commerce Department said the list of 45 Russian and 58 Chinese companies means anyone who seeks to sell products that could ultimately be used for military purposes to the listed companies will obtain a license.
Wilbur Ross, U.S. Commerce Secretary, said the move creates a new process to assist exporters in "screening their customers for military end users." The "military end user" branding mandates U.S. companies to secure licenses in order to sell to the firms.
Publishing the list in the final days of the Trump administration follows the inclusion of multiple other Chinese companies to another U.S. trade blacklist, including China's top semiconductor manufacturer SMIC and drone maker SZ DJI Technology, on Friday.
Among the most prominent companies were seven subsidiaries of Aviation Industry Corp. of China and Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, which has been linked in a recent hacking on U.S. government offices and private companies.
The Commerce department said entities not found on the list does not mean they are exempt from regulatory sanctions. The agency said that exporters and transferors must continue to exercise their own initiative to help determine whether buyers are considered military end users.
The U.S. move comes in the wake of a continuing decline in China-U.S. relations during the U.S. presidential transition, as President Donald Trump ramps up efforts targeting China over its widening grip over Hong Kong and alleged abuses against Muslim minorities to exports of fifth-generation technology.
