Islamabad, March 27: The United States has blacklisted 80 entities from China, Taiwan, Pakistan, the UAE, Iran, and South Africa, citing concerns over national security and foreign policy.
The US US commerce department has enlisted further dozens of entities to a trade blacklist, that is in part to block Beijing’s advanced computing capabilities and artificial intelligence.
Key Developments:
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Pakistani entities linked to China are affected.
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Beijing condemns the move, calling it ‘weaponisation’ of trade and technology.
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Blacklisted entities are restricted from accessing US technology and items without government approval.
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Targeted firms are accused of aiding China’s AI, supercomputing, and hypersonic weapons development.
US Justification:
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated, “We will not allow adversaries to exploit American technology to bolster their own militaries and threaten American lives.”
The blacklisted companies include six subsidiaries of Inspur Group, China’s leading cloud computing and big data provider. These firms allegedly contributed to the Chinese military’s supercomputing programs.
Beijing’s Response:
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Guo Jiakun, condemned the move, urging Washington to stop “unreasonably suppressing Chinese enterprises.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington also demanded an end to what it called the politicization and militarization of trade and technology.
Impact on Pakistani Entities:
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The nature of Pakistani entities included in the blacklist remains undisclosed.
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The restrictions could affect Pakistan’s tech and defense collaborations with China.
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Pakistan may face challenges in acquiring US-origin high-tech components.
Tech Giants Affected:
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Inspur’s subsidiaries – Key players in AI and cloud computing.
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Nettrix, Suma Technology, and Suma-USI Electronics – Allegedly aided China’s exascale supercomputer development.
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Sugon (Dawning Information Industry Co.) – A server manufacturer previously blacklisted in 2019 for military-linked computing.
Industry Reactions:
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US chipmakers Nvidia and AMD have faced scrutiny over their past dealings with blacklisted firms.
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Reuters reports that the extent of ongoing US-China business ties remains uncertain.
Geopolitical Implications:
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Increased US-China tensions over technology and defense.
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Possible impact on Pakistan’s defense supply chain and AI capabilities.
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Stronger trade barriers for companies working with Chinese tech firms.
This move marks another escalation in the US-China tech war, with Pakistan and other nations caught in the crossfire.
