China has announced new restrictions on drone exports to the United States and imposed sanctions on six American companies in response to recent trade measures and sanctions introduced by Washington.
The move comes days after the United States imposed fresh tariffs on China and 59 other countries, further escalating trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
In a statement on Wednesday, China’s Ministry of Commerce said the U.S. actions had seriously undermined China’s legitimate rights and interests.
“The United States’ actions seriously harm China’s legitimate rights and interests. China can only take necessary countermeasures, including strengthening export controls on drones and their key components and technologies to the United States,” the ministry said.
As part of its response, Beijing announced tighter export controls on drones, key drone components and related technologies destined for the U.S.
China also suspended factory follow-up inspections conducted by its certification bodies, blacklisted several U.S. compliance testing companies, and launched national security investigations into imports of office printers and photocopiers.
In addition, Beijing imposed sanctions on six U.S. companies, including biotechnology firm Applied DNA Sciences and geoscience research company Stratum Reservoir.
The sanctions prohibit Chinese organisations and individuals from engaging in transactions, cooperation or other business activities with the affected firms.
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, the companies were sanctioned for allegedly assisting and supporting U.S. sanctions related to China’s Xinjiang region.
“The six entities have assisted and supported illegal U.S. sanctions related to Xinjiang; the nature of their actions is egregious,” the ministry stated.
The Xinjiang region has remained a major point of contention between Beijing and Western governments. The United Nations has previously warned that China’s treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity, allegations that Beijing has consistently denied.
China’s Vice Premier and top trade official, He Lifeng, also expressed “serious concern” over the latest U.S. restrictions during a telephone conversation with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
Last week, Beijing also criticised Washington for what it described as an attempt to suppress Chinese companies after the U.S. banned imports of foreign-manufactured humanoid and quadruped robots in a separate measure from the latest tariffs.
The latest developments threaten a fragile trade truce reached last October, when U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to ease tensions following months of escalating trade disputes.
However, China’s latest retaliatory measures suggest that trade relations between the two countries remain strained, with Beijing warning Washington against pursuing further actions that could reignite a full-scale trade war.
