(Update with measurements, add company names)
By Humeyra Pamuk, Michael Martina and Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (Reuters) –
The Biden administration on Friday added six Chinese entities linked to Beijing’s suspicious surveillance balloon program to an export blacklist.
The U.S. Commerce Department said it added the five companies and a research institute to support “China’s military modernization efforts, particularly the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aerospace programs, including airships and the balls”.
Between the entities listed Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 48th Research Institute.
Earlier, the United States said it would consider taking action against Chinese military-linked entities that supported the flight of a spy balloon into American airspace last week.
On Friday, the Biden administration also added Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology, Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group, Tian-Hai-Xiang Canton Aviation Technology and Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group to the list.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, Guangzhou Tian-Hai-Xiang Aviation Technology Co and the 48th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Beijing Nanjiang, Dongguang, Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group, Tian-Hai-Xiang Canton and Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group could not be reached for comment.
Blacklisting makes it harder for companies to secure US technology exports. US President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump have used the list to hit Chinese companies and block Beijing from advancing militarily.
Washington has said it is convinced that the manufacturer of the Chinese balloon, shot down by the American army last weekend off the east coast of the United States, has a “direct relationship” with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Chinese. an official said in a statement. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Patricia Zengerle, Michael Martina, David Brunnstrom, Sarah N. Lynch, Nandita Bose, Paul Grant and Kanishka Singh; Spanish editing by Tomás Cobos and Aida Peláez-Fernández)