West News Wire: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin asserted on Wednesday that the US is targeting Chinese businesses and scientists as part of its efforts to thwart international technology advancement.
Wang claimed during his regularly scheduled press conference that the US Justice Department’s (DOJ) Disruptive Technology Strike Force was created in order to “abuse export control regimes.”
“The US has politicised, instrumentalized, and weaponized tech issues, and sought to thwart other countries’ technological advancement,” Wang claimed.
The official urged the US to “stop abusing judicial power to target Chinese researchers” and to “abandon the outdated Cold War mentality.” Beijing will “firmly safeguard the legal rights and interests of Chinese citizens,” he emphasised.
Wang’s comments came after the DOJ announced on Tuesday that two unnamed former software engineers had been arrested for allegedly stealing material from US tech companies in order to “market it to Chinese competitors.” According to the DOJ, one of the engineers is a Chinese citizen.
The White House has regularly charged Beijing with pirating technology and employing Huawei and the video-sharing platform TikTok for espionage. China has refuted the claims and charged the US with attempting to stifle competition in the international IT sector.
The state of Montana implemented a complete ban on TikTok on Wednesday. At least 25 other US states have placed restrictions on the service, and the federal government has prohibited the use of the app on official devices.
The majority of American suppliers are prohibited from exporting goods and technology to Huawei until they have been granted licences as a result of Huawei being listed on a US trade blacklist in 2019. The goal of the proposal is to prevent the Chinese corporation from purchasing or creating the semiconductor chips that power most of its products.
Tensions between the US and China, the world’s two largest economies, have been on the rise as they compete for domination in key technologies, including semiconductors. In October, the Biden administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on China’s ability to buy semiconductors and chip-making equipment, placing the country’s companies on a list for further scrutiny.
