United States blacklist 33 Chinese companies for spying on Uighur Muslims

The United States declared on Friday it had blacklisted 33 Chinese companies because they were helping Beijing to spy on the Uighur minori...

The United States declared on Friday it had blacklisted 33 Chinese companies because they were helping Beijing to spy on the Uighur minority or helping Chinese troops to carry out mass destruction.

United States blacklist 33 Chinese companies for spying on Uighur Muslims

At the initiative of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Trump administration has identified organizations whose products support the activities of the Chinese military and will punish Beijing for its steps against Muslim minorities. The decision came when the ruling Communist Party in Beijing unveiled a detailed plan to implement national security laws in Hong Kong on Friday.

Seven companies and two organizations have been listed, which are collaborators in illegal work and violating human rights and assisting in technical surveillance against Uyghurs, Chinese propaganda, forced labor detention, and repression. Also, two dozen companies have been linked to government and trade organizations, whose products are procured by the Chinese military, the Commerce Department said in a statement.

Those blacklisted companies are eyeing the market for artificial intelligence and facial recognition, with US chip companies such as Nvidia Corporation and Intel Corporation, is investing heavily.

These include the famous NetPoza in China, a company known for its facial recognition work, and are used to monitor Muslims. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department said that more companies and institutions are being added to the list, to control the purchase of US goods or services.