BEIJING, Aug 5 China has imposed a series of restrictions on U.S. agencies and other entities, saying the move was in response to recent U.S. measures involving Chinese telecom operators, testing laboratories, drones and other tech items.
It also cited Washington’s addition last week of more than 40 Chinese entities to its Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list
The actions mark the latest escalation in a wider cycle of U.S.-China trade and technology tensions, in which Washington has tightened restrictions on Chinese access to U.S. technology and the U.S. market on national-security and human-rights grounds. Beijing in turn has responded with export controls on rare earths and other goods critical to U.S. manufacturing supply chains, as well as sanctions on designated U.S. companies it believes to have aided or lobbied Washington against its interests. BUSINESS RESTRICTIONS Beijing on Wednesday introduced business restrictions on seven U.S. entities, tightened export reviews for drones shipped to the United States, and halted the use of U.S.-based agencies for some factory inspections required under China’s product-certification system.
Among the measures, China’s Commerce Ministry said it had put Mesa, Arizona-based Compliance Testing on its countermeasures list, barring Chinese organisations and individuals from conducting transactions or cooperating with the company. Compliance Testing is a laboratory and certification-services firm. Such firms test products including wireless devices, electronics and telecommunications equipment to determine whether they meet technical, safety and regulatory standards before they can be sold.