Over the last few months Mr Trump has targeted Chinese technology companies he believes share personal data with its government with TikTok, Huawei and WeChat caught in the crossfire. (File photo by=Reuters) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] Donald Trump has taken a final swipe at China and its biggest companies, imposing more sanctions and investment banks in his last days of office. Nine Chinese firms have been added to the Pentagon's blacklist of alleged ties to the Chinese military, including phone maker Xiaomi.
Mr. Trump has ramped up action against a host of companies he believes are a security threat in recent months. China retaliated this week with a new law aimed at protecting its firms. His latest round of restrictions announced on Thursday affect, among others, China's oil giant CNOOC and Xiaomi, which in November surpassed Apple to become the world's third-biggest smartphone manufacturer.
The US Commerce Department accused CNOOC of harassing and threatening offshore oil and gas exploration and extraction in the South China Sea. CNOOC, which is state-owned, acted as "a bully for the People's Liberation Army to intimidate China's neighbors" said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Many believe this latest action is Mr. Trump's final swipe at Chinese companies before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on 20 January. However, Nicholas Turner, a lawyer at Steptoe & Johnson in Hong Kong, told the BBC "I think there might be one more. We are also watching for updates from the US Treasury Department."