China warns US tech curbs will 'come back to bite them'

BEIJING: Beijing on Thursday warned the US that restrictions on its industries would “come back to bite them”, after Washington added a number of Chinese firms to a list of companies linked to its military.

The Pentagon on Wednesday placed several Chinese companies on a list of firms aiding Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army, including Yangtze Memory Technologies, one of China’s biggest chip manufacturers.

The move bars the firms from any future US military contracts, and places them under greater scrutiny as the US seeks to curb Chinese companies’ access to sensitive technology.

Asked about the move, Beijing’s foreign ministry condemned the US for “unreasonably suppressing Chinese firms”.

“These US actions violate principles of market competition and international economic and trade rules,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, warning it would “harm the interests of US firms and investors”.

“This will come back to bite them,” Wang warned.

Wang insisted that “many large US multinational companies are military-civilian fusions”, insisting Beijing “will continue to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its firms”.

Washington’s “List of People’s Republic of China Military Companies”, updated periodically, features a number of prominent Chinese firms, many of whom are already blacklisted by other US government departments — including tech giant Huawei and chipmaker SMIC.

In addition to Yangtze, other prominent companies added Wednesday were US-sanctioned AI firm Megvii and drone-maker Chengdu JOUAV.