US adds 5 Chinese companies to export restrictions list over rights abuses

The United States has put five Chinese companies on its Entity List that restricts their ability to receive exports, over human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang province.

"Specifically, the (authority) determined that Xinjiang GCL New Energy Material Technology; Xinjiang Daqo New Energy; Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals; Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan); and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps are engaging in activities contrary to the foreign policy interests of the US through participating in the practice of, accepting, or utilizing forced labor," the US Commerce Department said in a document on Wednesday.

The US government has determined that the five Chinese entities have committed human rights violations against religious and ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region, including being engaged in a campaign of repression, forced labor and high-tech surveillance, Sputnik reported.

The five companies will have additional license requirements and limited availability of most license exceptions for exports, re-exports and transfers to them.

This latest action comes amid rising tension between the two countries over issues including human rights violations, trade and China's military aggression.

Back in April, the US had restricted trade with top Chinese supercomputing centers, as these capabilities can be used for the development of modern weapons and national security systems.

"Commerce implements new export controls on China, adding 7 Chinese entities to the Entity List in response to their involvement with China's military, its destabilizing military modernization efforts, and/or its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program," US Department of Commerce had tweeted.