Huawei, Hikvision will be Chinese military-supported firms, says Pentagon's list
The Pentagon has published a set of 20 Chinese companies it says are backed by the military, in the latest instance of a running tit-for-tat financial battle between Washington and Beijing.
Telecom giant Huawei-which has been dogged by allegations of stealing American trade secrets and aiding China’s espionage efforts-and video surveillance giant Hikvision are among the businesses named in the list, according to Bloomberg.
“As the People’s Republic of China attempts to blur the lines between civil and military sectors, ‘knowing your supplier’ is crucial,” stated Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman.
The list covers firms “owned by, controlled by, or affiliated with China’s government, military, or defense industry,” Hoffman said in a statement.
“We envision this list will be a useful program for the U.S. Government, corporations, investors, academic establishments, and likeminded partners to conduct homework in regards to to partnerships with these entities,” he added.
Tensions have already been mounting between Beijing and Washington on several fronts-including trade.
US President Donald Trump has pursued a bruising trade war with China, and warned last week of “complete decoupling” between your world’s leading two economies despite both sides pledging to go forward on a trade deal.
China last month warned it could have “necessary measures” to safeguard Huawei and other companies following the US announced new restrictions on the tech giant’s purchases of semiconductor technology.
Huawei didn't immediately respond on the publication of the list but has previously denied ties with the Chinese government.
A Hikvision spokesman said it “strongly opposes” the united states approach, calling its inclusion in the list “baseless” and saying information on its ownership are publicly available as a publicly traded company.
“Hikvision hasn't participated in any R&D do the job for military applications,” said the spokesman of the firm, which includes been accused of adding to human rights abuses.
AFP has already reached out to others on the list, including China Telecom and China Mobile, for comment.
