U.S. Blacklists 5 Chinese Firms For Supporting Russia's Military

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden's administration added five Chinese companies on a trade blacklist for allegedly helping Russia's military and defense industrial base, exercising its might to impose sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, Alexandra Alper reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: The Commerce Department stated that the targeted companies supplied items to Russian "entities of concern" prior to the February 24 invasion, and that they "continue to contract to supply Russian entity listed and sanctioned parties."

According to the Federal Register entry, the Commerce Department, which oversees the blacklist, stated that the targeted companies supplied items to Russian "entities of concern" prior to the February 24 invasion, and that they "continue to contract to supply Russian entity listed and sanctioned parties."

The agency also added 31 entities to the blacklist from countries such as Russia, UAE, Lithuania, Pakistan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. 25 of the 36 new enterprises have activities in China.

"Today's action sends a powerful message to entities and individuals across the globe that if they seek to support Russia, the United States will cut them off as well," Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez said in a statement.

The Chinese embassy in Washington declined to comment on the claims against the firms, but stated that Beijing had not offered military assistance to Russia or Ukraine. It stated that it would take "necessary measures" to protect the rights of its companies', claiming that the sanctions violate international law.

Connec Electronic Ltd, Hong Kong-based World Jetta, and Logistics Limited, three of the Chinese companies suspected of assisting the Russian military, could not be reached for comment.

The other two, King Pai Technology Co, Ltd, and Winninc Electronic, did not respond to calls for comment right away.

Since Beijing's crackdown on the city's autonomy, Hong Kong has been considered part of China for the purposes of US export controls. Because the companies have been blacklisted, their US suppliers must obtain a Commerce Department license before they may ship anything to them.

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