China hits back at US sanctions with restrictions on six American organisations

China has imposed restrictions on six US organisations in response to American sanctions against Chinese companies over allegations of “forced labour”, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said.

The measures affect Applied DNA Sciences, Stratum Reservoir, Altana Technologies, the Responsible Business Alliance, Verité Group and Human Rights in China, according to a statement published by the ministry.

The ministry said the decision was approved by China’s national coordination mechanism for countering foreign sanctions.

Beijing accused the United States of violating international law and the basic norms of international relations by imposing sanctions on Chinese companies over what it called “so-called forced labour”. It also accused the listed US organisations of supporting US sanctions against Xinjiang, saying they had caused a “serious negative impact”.

Chinese authorities have prohibited companies from conducting transactions and cooperation with the listed organisations.

China also announced tighter export controls on products related to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) exported to the United States.

The Ministry of Commerce said the measure was adopted under China’s national regulations on export controls and dual-use goods, with the aim of safeguarding national security and protecting national interests.

The move follows a US decision to ban imports from 43 additional Chinese companies from July 31 over alleged human rights concerns in Xinjiang. The companies affected include firms from the mining, agricultural, transport, metallurgy and seafood processing sectors.

The United States has placed 187 Chinese organisations on its blacklist, accusing them of involvement in what Washington describes as serious human rights violations and genocide — allegations repeatedly rejected by Beijing.