Explainer-in-brief: Biden’s Beijing face off – just not with facial recognition
US President Biden has put eight Chinese companies on an investment blacklist, meaning American investors are not allowed to take stakes in these businesses.
Targeted companies include DJI, the biggest drone manufacturer globally, Yitu Technology, an artificial intelligence company, and CloudWalk Technology, working with facial recognition.
The Biden administration believes their products are used by Beijing to detain, control and systematically quash Uyghur Muslims.
The move plays out against recent tensions between China and Taiwan, with the Chinese Defence Minister saying last month that there is “no room for compromise” with the US over the future of the small island. The US is Taipei’s staunchest ally, and has interests in keeping Taiwan independent from mainland China.
There are likely more sanctions coming, and China is known for its retaliatory disposition.