The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has determined that top Chinese firms, including telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies and video surveillance company Hikvision, are owned or controlled by the Chinese military, laying the groundwork for new U.S. financial sanctions, according to a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the authenticity of the document and said it had been sent to Congress. Washington placed Huawei on a trade blacklist last year over national security concerns and has led an international campaign to convince allies to exclude it from their 5G networks.
Washington lists 20 companies that it claims are backed by the Chinese military and operate in the United States. It also includes China Mobile Communications Group and China Telecommunications Corp. as well as aircraft manufacturer Aviation Industry Corp. of China.