Trump administration lists Xiaomi as a ‘Communist Chinese military company’

Six days into office, the Trump administration has decided to put another Chinese electronics giant in its sights: Xiaomi, the world’s third-largest phone maker. The US Department of Defense now designates Xiaomi as a ‘Chinese Communist Military Company’, meaning it is now vulnerable to Trump’s decree that bans the US from investing in such companies – and could force the companies US investors and other US investors to disengage from Xiaomi on November 11, 2021, as reported by Reuters.

While a Biden administration may cancel the order before then, it’s interesting to see an electronics company like Xiaomi on the list. Most of the other companies on the list are more industry-oriented, specializing in aviation, aerospace, shipbuilding, chemicals, telecommunications, construction, and other forms of infrastructure. Huawei, world number two in telephony, is also on the list, but Huawei also manufactures telecommunications equipment on a large scale; U.S. lawmakers have expressed particular concern that Huawei is part of the country’s cellular infrastructure (see also: ZTE).

This list is not the same as the US Department of Commerce’s “entity list,” which typically prevents US companies from exporting technology to companies that have been blacklisted, like drone maker DJI. But some Chinese companies like Huawei (and Chinese chipmaker SMIC) are now on both lists.

Speaking of the Commerce Department, he is moving forward to try to prevent six entire countries, now referred to as “foreign adversaries,” from providing communications equipment to the United States, including China, Russia, the United States. Iran, North Korea, Cuba and the country. government of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro.

Xiaomi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.