US puts Chinese drone giant DJI on military ties blacklist
Al JazeeraDec 04, 2022
The Facts
On Wednesday, the US Dept. of Defense (DOD) added the world's largest drone manufacturer, DJI technology - along with a dozen other Chinese hi-tech firms - to a blacklist of firms with alleged ties to the Chinese military, allowing for sanctions to be imposed against them.
This comes after an initial list including Huawei Technologies was published last year in accordance with the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual must-pass bill that guides funding for the US military.
The Spin
Anti-China narrative
This is a much needed move to mitigate threats to US national security. Although they may focus on developing civil technologies, these firms are deeply entangled with the military-industrial complex, as the Chinese Communist Party actively promotes military-civil fusion in order to expand and modernize its forces.
Pro-China narrative
As the US continues its baseless crackdown on China's scientific and technological rise to maintain its sci-tech hegemony, Washington is only ensuring its own downfall. This move may provoke short-term damage, but its long-term impact will be limited considering the US's direct investment in China represents only 2% of all foreign investment.