China on Wednesday announced a series of countermeasures against the United States, including tighter controls on drone exports to the US and sanctions on six American entities, in response to recent trade and technology restrictions imposed by Washington.
The measures come as tensions persist between the world's two largest economies ahead of an expected visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States in September, despite recent efforts by both sides to stabilize relations.
In a statement, China's Commerce Ministry said the latest actions were prompted by several recent US decisions, including the Federal Communications Commission's restrictions on imports of Chinese drones and Washington's addition of 43 Chinese companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list.
Beijing said the US measures undermine the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders and harm China's legitimate interests, adding that it was left with "no choice" but to respond.
China said exports of drones, key drone components and related technologies listed as dual-use items with both civilian and military applications will now be subject to case-by-case government review before being approved for shipment to the United States.
The Commerce Ministry also barred six US entities, including Applied DNA Sciences Inc. and the rights group Human Rights in China, from conducting trade or other business activities with Chinese organizations.
Separately, China prohibited Compliance Testing LLC from operating in the Chinese market, accusing the company of cooperating with the US Federal Communications Commission in ways that harmed China's sovereignty and national security.
Chinese authorities also announced a national security review of imported printing software and office equipment, although they did not identify any specific companies involved.
Meanwhile, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said US-based firms will no longer be allowed to conduct follow-up factory inspections for China Compulsory Certification (CCC), a key product safety certification for electronic goods. The change means US manufacturers seeking CCC approval will need to rely on auditors or certification bodies based outside the United States.
The latest measures follow a series of US actions targeting Chinese technology products. In December, the FCC restricted imports of new Chinese drones before later easing the ban for certain models. Last week, Washington also announced restrictions on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security concerns.