The Trump administration has set its crosshairs on Chinese officials and companies with alleged military links as it unleased what are probably its last set of sanctions on China connected to the disputed South China Sea.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has released a blacklist to U.S. equipment sales or services to Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi Corp., state-owned plane maker Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd., and China National Offshore Oil Corp. because of ties to China's military which has supported efforts to claim islands in the South China Sea.
As well, so far unidentified Chinese officials will face sanctions that include being banned from travel to the United States.
The Trump administration ramped up efforts in its last days to go hard on China with new additions to its Entity List - new sanctions that target to increase pressure on the country's claims in the South China Sea and the inclusion of another Chinese company to its exports blacklist, Bloomberg reported Friday.
The U.S. Department of Defense added nine more companies Thursday to its list of companies that it claims have links with China's military, putting the total to 44.
After the moves, U.S. investors can no longer invest in the companies that their government has added to its blacklist. They are restricted from buying stocks and securities and will have to sell their existing shares in them by Nov. 11 this year, according to Reuters.
Chinese foreign ministry officials, the China National Aviation and China National Offshore Oil did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Xiaomi and the other companies had no immediate comment.
Meanwhile, The Trump administration's bid to ban the Chinese-owned WeChat app was met with doubt by a judicial committee.
On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco said it was not totally convinced of the government's efforts to revoke the ruling of a federal judge, who granted a preliminary injunction last year to WeChat users in the U.S., asserting the U.S. restrictions was tantamount to an outright prohibition that infringes of their right to free speech.
