US blacklists a dozen Chinese computing firms as tensions run high
With tensions between the world’s rival superpowers running high the US has added 12 Chinese computing firms to its export blacklist.
Washington cited national security concerns and revealed that the companies have been helping develop the Chinese military’s quantum computing programme.
The majority of the Chinese groups were targeted to prohibit access to quantum-related technology. The US commerce department said the ban will stop China’s armed forces from acquiring “US origin-items in support of military applications,” arguing that access to technology could help the PLA improve their counter submarine and stealth applications and aid with the breaking of US encryption.
The US and China are locked in a longstanding trade war with tensions have been running high over issues which include the status of Taiwan.
Whilst China sees the island as an integral part of its national territory while America has a longstanding military arrangement with the region and helps the democracy to maintain a level of independence from the mainland.
On this occasion China was not the only country targeted by the addition of new countries to the blacklist. A total of 27 new entities were added from China, Japan, Pakistan, and Singapore.
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