Biden Piggybacks Trump, Creates a Larger Blacklist of Chinese Firms
Posted on 06/04/2021
As the world media giants permits the lab leak theory to stick regarding the coronavirus origins, U.S. Joe President Biden moved to expand restrictions on U.S. investments in certain Chinese companies with alleged ties to the country’s military and surveillance efforts via executive order. Furthering former President Trump’s efforts to restrict U.S. investments in some Chinese companies, Biden is adding to the blacklist. Among the 59 Chinese firms that are barred include Aero Engine Corporation of China, Aerosun Corp., Fujian Torch Electron Technology, and Huawei Technologies. The prohibitions take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on August 2, 2021.
“This E.O. allows the United States to prohibit – in a targeted and scoped manner – U.S. investments in Chinese companies that undermine the security or democratic values of the United States and our allies,” the White House said in a press release.
The measure bars U.S. dollars from supporting the “Chinese defense sector, while also expanding the U.S. Government’s ability to address the threat of Chinese surveillance technology firms that contribute — both inside and outside China — to the surveillance of religious or ethnic minorities or otherwise facilitate repression and serious human rights abuses,” the administration added.
The Trump administration’s previous order created a list of 48 firms.
Coronavirus Origins
On June 3, 2021, Trump issued a message through his surrogates saying that China should pay US$ 10 trillion to America and the world over the virus.
U.S. tech platform companies including Twitter and Facebook suppressed the COVID lab leak theory during the onset of the coronavirus outbreak in a bid to control the message that was espoused from the World Health Organization (wet market theory). The social media giants effectively acted as publishers, deciding what was truthful or not. However, the U.S. government declined to prosecute Twitter or Facebook on grounds of possible violating section 230. As a recent FOIA uncovers more emails and former U.S. health officials speak out, the origins of COVID-19 remain a controversial topic.
