On the 9th, China's Ministry of Commerce announced that 14 foreign entities, including U.S. anti-drone technology company Dedrone by Axon and Canadian semiconductor research institute TechInsights, have been added to the “Unreliable Entity List” for reasons such as engaging in military technology cooperation with Taiwan, making “malicious” China-related remarks, and assisting foreign governments in suppressing Chinese companies.
According to the announcement from the Ministry of Commerce, these 14 foreign entities (including enterprises and institutions) and their branches are, effective immediately, prohibited from engaging in any import or export activities related to China; prohibited from making new investments within China; and Chinese organizations or individuals are forbidden from conducting any related transactions or cooperative activities with these entities, particularly transmitting data or providing sensitive information to them.
In a statement to reporters under the title of “answers by an unnamed spokesperson,” the Ministry of Commerce claimed that in recent years, Dedrone by Axon, TechInsights, and their branches have, disregarding strong opposition from China, respectively engaged in military technology cooperation with Taiwan, made “malicious” China-related remarks, or assisted foreign governments in suppressing Chinese companies, “seriously harming China’s national sovereignty, security, and development interests.”
The spokesperson asserted that China would pursue their “illegal responsibilities” in accordance with the “Foreign Trade Law,” “National Security Law,” “Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law,” and the “Regulations on Unreliable Entity List” and other relevant laws and regulations. However, the spokesperson also claimed China “has always handled” the unreliable entity list issue prudently, and that “only a very small number of foreign entities endangering China’s national security are targeted in accordance with the law; foreign entities that act in good faith and abide by the law have nothing to worry about.”
The 14 foreign entities are: anti-drone technology company Dedrone by Axon; Dejean Technologies; Elbit Systems of America; IBLIS Corporation; Aeronautical & General Environmental Ltd.; ECCRIS Corporation; United Technology Systems Operations Company; BAE Systems PLC; Teledyne FLIR LLC; Viasat Inc.; Cubic Global Defense Inc.; U.S. cybersecurity company Recorded Future, Inc.; Halifax International Security Forum; as well as Canadian semiconductor research institute TechInsights Inc. and its 9 branches.