China slaps export controls on US firms ahead of Xi's Washington visit

Beijing has announced a series of measures against the United States and its companies, in response to recent actions by Washington targeting Chinese entities. These retaliatory sanctions occur weeks before a planned summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump next month. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce sanctioned several American firms, including a biotechnology company and a resource analytics firm, and imposed stricter export controls on drones and related technologies to the US.

Six companies were added to China's list of countermeasures, linked to the US's recent ban on imports from 43 Chinese firms accused of human rights abuses against Uyghur and other minority groups. Another company's listing was tied to the FCC's ban on imports of new drone models and critical equipment from China, as well as power converters.

The Chinese government has launched a national security investigation into imported office equipment with foreign system software and suspended certain factory tracking inspections with the US. Beijing stated it had "no choice but to take necessary countermeasures" in response to the US's actions. The Chinese spokesperson urged the US to revoke the measures immediately, stop its "erroneous actions", and work together to maintain a stable China-US relationship.