US President Donald Trump. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore on Flickr

The United States Department of Commerce has blacklisted some 33 more Chinese companies and organizations over alleged ties to human rights abuses and Chinese military activities. The Department of Commerce announced the blacklists in two separate press statements, the first on alleged ties to military activities and the other on alleged ties to human rights abuses. Precisely, nine Chinese entities were blacklisted on alleged ties to human rights abuses, with the remaining twenty-four on alleged ties to military activities. Among the blacklisted entities included well-known Chinese technology companies like CloudMinds, Qihoo 360, and NetPosa.

CloudMinds is a Chinese robotics company that develops both robots of its own and software that helps power other robots. As a company, CloudMinds has raised more than $300 million in funding from investors including SoftBank and Foxconn. Qihoo 360 is a publicly-traded internet security company that makes money by advertising and offering premium services to its massive user base. NetPosa, also a publicly-traded entity, is a Beijing-based company that develops video surveillance products.

Also blacklisted alongside the three tech companies include a few research institutes, a university, and several corporate firms. As regards alleged ties to military activities, the U.S. Department of Commerce termed the blacklisted companies as “engaging in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.” As regards the alleged ties to human rights abuses, the Department termed the nine companies as “complicit in human rights violations and abuses committed in China’s campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, forced labor and high-technology surveillance.”