U.S. adds Chinese supercomputing entities to economic blacklist

0
620
IMAGE COPYRIGHT/ AFP/ A supercomputer developed by China's National University of Defense Technology.
Chinese and U.S. flags flutter outside the building of an American company in Beijing, China January 21, 2021.
IMAGE COPYRIGHT/ AFP/ Chinese and U.S. flags flutter outside the building of an American company in Beijing, China January 21, 2021. Tingshue Wang | Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Commerce Department said Thursday it was adding seven Chinese supercomputing entities to a U.S. economic blacklist for assisting Chinese military efforts.

The department is adding Tianjin Phytium Information Technology, Shanghai High-Performance Integrated Circuit Design Center, Sunway Microelectronics, the National Supercomputing Center Jinan, the National Supercomputing Center Shenzhen, the National Supercomputing Center Wuxi, and the National Supercomputing Center Zhengzhou to its blacklist. The Commerce Department said the seven were “involved with building supercomputers used by China’s military actors, its destabilizing military modernization efforts, and/or weapons of mass destruction programs.”

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“Supercomputing capabilities are vital for the development of many – perhaps almost all – modern weapons and national security systems, such as nuclear weapons and hypersonic weapons, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“Supercomputing capabilities are vital for the development of many – perhaps almost all – modern weapons and national security systems, such as nuclear weapons and hypersonic weapons, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.

SOURCE: REUTERS