Tech News Summary:
- The US Commerce Department has added 43 Chinese entities to its Entity List, restricting exports to these organizations for their involvement in recruiting Western pilots to train Chinese military personnel and developing hypersonic weapons.
- This move is part of the US government’s efforts to counter China’s growing military capabilities and comes amidst rising tensions between the two countries over trade, human rights abuses, and cybersecurity.
- The restrictions placed on these entities will impact their access to key technologies from American companies, slowing down their development of advanced military hardware and potentially triggering further retaliation from China.
In a bid to ramp up pressure on China and limit its access to critical technological capabilities, the United States has taken aim at two of Beijing’s leading entities – Pilot Training and Hypersonic technology.
The US Department of Commerce has announced new restrictions aimed at blocking companies affiliated with the Chinese military from accessing crucial technology, citing national security concerns. These measures are focused specifically on two organizations – the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) pilot training program and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) hypersonic technology unit.
According to the Commerce Department, the AVIC pilot training program had been seeking to obtain cutting-edge flight simulation technology from US companies, which would allow the Chinese military to train its pilots more effectively. Meanwhile, the CASIC hypersonic technology unit is believed to be working on developing new, advanced weapons systems that could threaten US national security.
The latest move is part of a wider strategy by the US government to restrict Chinese access to crucial technologies, limiting their ability to compete in critical areas such as 5G networks, information technology, and biotechnology. The Trump administration has repeatedly accused China of engaging in unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft, and human rights abuses.
“To protect U.S. national security, we must ensure that American technology does not support China’s military advancement,” said US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “We will not allow advanced U.S. technology to help build the military of an increasingly belligerent adversary.”
The latest restrictions on Pilot Training and Hypersonic Tech come as tensions between Beijing and Washington continue to rise, with both countries engaged in a bitter trade war and increasingly hostile rhetoric. The move is likely to further escalate tensions and could prompt retaliation from China, which has already vowed to take “necessary measures” to protect its interests.