US announces trade restrictions on 100 Russian and Chinese companies linked to military

Businesses in the US will need approval before trading with the listed companies

US President Donald Trump, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, holds a press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC. AFP 

More than 100 Chinese and Russian companies were added to a list of entities the US claims have links to their nations’ militaries, in a move that will sharply curtail certain types of exports.

A licence will be required to sell items that could eventually be used for military purposes to the 58 Chinese and 45 Russian companies, the US Commerce Department said.

Among the biggest names on the list were seven subsidiaries of Aviation Industry Corp of China and Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, which has been implicated in a recent ­cyber attack on US federal ­agencies and companies.

“The Department recognises the importance of leveraging its partnerships with US and global companies to combat efforts by China and Russia to divert US technology for their destabilising military programmes,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said.

President Donald Trump has intensified action against Beijing over issues including exports of 5G technology.

Earlier this year, the administration listed 31 Chinese companies including Huawei as being tied to the People’s Liberation Army.

The companies included Huawei and several state-run enterprises.