U.S. imposes trade restrictions on five Chinese companies for their involvement in Uyghur genocide
By Alp Uyghur
The Biden administration has taken a bold move by enforcing fresh trade limitations on five Chinese enterprises that are believed to have actively assisted in the brutal suppression of the Uyghur Muslim minority in Uyghuristan. The U.S. Commerce Department has accused these companies of being involved in gross human rights abuses, which include a campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-tech surveillance against the Uyghur population and other Muslim minorities. The Chinese government has dismissed these allegations as “falsehoods” that are intended to restrict its activities. However, according to Hikvision’s half-year report, at least four of the companies facing new restrictions are linked to the Chinese surveillance camera maker, including Luopu Haishi Dingxin Electronic Technology Co., Moyu Haishi Electronic Technology Co., Pishan Haishi Yong’an Electronic Technology Co., and Urumqi Haishi Xin’an Electronic Technology Co.
In response to the trade restrictions, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, has vehemently criticized the United States for imposing these limitations on Chinese firms. Mao alleges that the US is using false allegations and politicizing normal business and economic cooperation in an attempt to destabilize Uyghuristan and constrain China. “The idea that there exists so-called repression of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang has long been debunked,” Mao said at a regular briefing on Wednesday. This statement is not only misleading but also reprehensible, given the overwhelming evidence of the Chinese government’s heinous acts of brutality against the Uyghur population.
When a company is added to the entity list, American suppliers must obtain a difficult-to-obtain special license before shipping any goods to those entities. This list has increasingly been used by the United States to target Chinese firms. Hikvision, a Chinese company that produces surveillance cameras, was added to the U.S. trade blacklist in 2019 for its alleged involvement in human rights violations in Uyghuristan. Rights groups and Uyghur activists accuse China of conducting a campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-tech surveillance against Uyghurs and other Muslims in the region.
The Chinese government has threatened to take all necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese firms. However, the world must stand united against China’s gross violations of human rights in Uyghuristan, and hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions. The U.S. trade restrictions are a step in the right direction, and we must continue to push for justice for the Uyghur people.
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