U.S. lawmakers' plan to add Chinese tech companies to a military-related list draws attention

To curb China's development, U.S. lawmakers urge adding DeepSeek, Xiaomi and others to the "military-affiliated enterprise" list

On this week, nine U.S. congressmen wrote a letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Austin, urging the Department of Defense to add several Chinese technology companies to a list of enterprises accused of "assisting the Chinese military."

Reuters reported that, after U.S. President Trump signed an annual military spending bill worth up to $1 trillion on Thursday, December 18, the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' China Affairs Subcommittee, Muller, and Republican congressman Scott from Florida, among nine legislators, sent a letter late at night, asking Austin to add artificial intelligence company DeepSeek, smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi, and electronics display panel manufacturer BOE Technology Group to the "Section 1260H list."

This list already includes several major Chinese companies, such as Tencent Holdings, one of China's major technology companies, and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), an important battery manufacturer in the electric vehicle industry.

The report pointed out that the 1260H list itself does not constitute formal sanctions, but it will send signals to U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies' suppliers, reflecting the military's view of relevant companies. Some of the Chinese companies listed have previously filed lawsuits against the U.S. side over this issue.

Another report stated that Trump has instructed the Department of Defense to rename it "War Department," but this name change still requires congressional approval.

Reuters had previously cited a senior U.S. official in June saying that DeepSeek was accused of assisting the Chinese military and circumventing U.S. export controls. BOE, as one of Apple's suppliers, was also named by U.S. lawmakers, who asked the Pentagon to remove this Chinese company from the supply chain by 2030.

All of the aforementioned legislators are Republicans. They also recommended adding several Chinese companies to the list, including WuXi AppTec, King Scientific Biotechnology, Sutengjuchuang, Livox, Yushu Technology, Yunji Technology, Hua Hong Semiconductor, Shen Nan Circuit and Jin Ruihong.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1852075460493319/

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