China imposes sanctions and drone export restrictions on U.S. firms ahead of Xi's planned visit
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Beijing announced sanctions against several American companies and tightened drone export controls in response to recent U.S. measures targeting Chinese firms, weeks before a planned summit between President Trump and President Xi.
Beijing on Wednesday announced a series of countermeasures against the United States, including sanctions on six American companies and tighter export controls on drones and related technologies. The moves are described as retaliation for recent U.S. actions that barred imports from dozens of Chinese firms over alleged human-rights abuses and for an FCC ban on new Chinese-made humanoid and quadruped robots.
China’s Ministry of Commerce added the six firms to its “countermeasures” list, prohibiting Chinese entities from cooperating with them. A seventh company was listed in connection with the FCC’s robot import ban. The ministry also launched a national-security investigation into imported office equipment that contains foreign software and suspended certain factory-tracking inspections with the United States.
"China has no choice but to take necessary countermeasures in response to recent American measures targeting Chinese firms," a ministry spokesperson said.
"China urges the United States to immediately revoke the relevant measures, stop its erroneous actions … and work together to maintain a constructive and stable China-U.S. relationship," the spokesperson added, warning that further U.S. restrictions could prompt additional Chinese countermeasures.
The sanctions come amid a broader escalation that includes recent U.S. actions such as tariffs on countries accused of forced-labor exports, sanctions on Chinese shipping operators, and a Pentagon blacklist that added two Chinese universities. The developments occur as officials prepare for an expected summit between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump next month.