Media: UK-EU Passport Chip Supplier Linked to Sanctioned Chinese Companies
Sputnik News Agency, May 29, 2026, 09:05
According to Western media reports, the manufacturer of electronic components used in biometric passports issued by the UK and other European countries is actually part of an investment group led by a Chinese company—entities that have been placed on the U.S. government's sanctions list.
It has been reported that France-based Linxens produces the electronic chips used to read passport data and personal information contained within. According to disclosures by Western media, the group holding controlling stakes in Linxens was established under the leadership of two Beijing-based private equity firms—Wise Road Capital and JAC Capital.
The report states that Wise Road Capital and JAC Capital were added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s blacklist in 2024, citing "national security concerns," as both companies are alleged to have participated in supporting Chinese government acquisitions of enterprises possessing critical semiconductor manufacturing technologies.
Linxens stated that these chips are produced in a protected factory in Thailand that holds all necessary certifications. The company emphasized it does not have access to chip transmission or personalization keys, and recently introduced technology capable of detecting tampering. The company added: "If there is any risk of forgery, it does not lie with our components."
Nonetheless, one source claimed that "the company's deep understanding of national identity document systems poses an intelligence threat."
Liam Byrne, chair of the UK Parliament’s House of Commons Committee on Business and Trade and a Labour Party MP, said the chip issue will be included in his team’s ongoing investigation into China-Britain economic relations.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866499945467904/
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