The Biden administration on Thursday added 37 companies to a trade, including units of Chinese genetics company BGI and Chinese cloud computing firm Inspur, in a move that promises to further ratchet up tensions with Beijing.
The Commerce Department, which oversees export controls, added BGI Research and BGI Tech Solutions (Hongkong), over allegations that the units pose a “significant risk” to contributing to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surveillance.
“The actions of these entities concerning the collection and analysis of genetic data present a significant risk of diversion to China’s military programs,” it said.
Reuters previously reported BGI was collecting genetic data from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations, and collaborates with the Chinese military….