Beijing says balloon incursion ‘force majeure’ as BIS adds six to entity list
The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (‘BIS’) has added six Chinese firms to its Entity List for involvement in Beijing’s alleged surveillance balloon programme.
The Commerce Department said on 10 February that the companies were being added for ‘supporting the PRC’s military modernisation efforts, specifically those related to aerospace programmes, including airships and balloons and related materials and components, that are used by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for intelligence and reconnaissance.’
The blacklisted firms were identified as:
- Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology
- China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 48th Research Institute
- Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology
- Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group
- Guangzhou Tian-Hai-Xiang Aviation Technology
- Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group.
Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said, ‘The Commerce Department will not hesitate to continue to use the Entity List and our other regulatory and enforcement tools to protect U.S. national security and sovereignty.’
On 15 February, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press conference that,
‘The entry of a Chinese civilian unmanned airship into the US airspace is purely an unintended, unexpected and isolated event caused by force majeure. The facts are clear and shall not be distorted or misrepresented. Despite that, the US still decided to use force against the civilian airship even as it was about to leave US airspace. This is a clear overreaction that seriously contravenes the spirit of international law and customary international practice..’
