Hangzhou-based Uniview on Tuesday was added to the so-called Entity List for enabling “human rights violations, including high-technology surveillance targeted at the general population, Uygurs, and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups”, the US Department of Commerce, which oversees the country’s trade policy, said in a filing.
In a statement on Wednesday, Uniview said the action was groundless and that US authorities have never informed the company of any investigation. “We urge the US government to re-examine [this decision],” Uniview said.
US suppliers of the two blacklisted Chinese firms must apply for a licence from the Bureau of Industry and Security to export any products. The licence review policy, however, is usually a “presumption of denial” – meaning that applications are unlikely to be granted.
