Kathmandu— On Wednesday, China announced a series of retaliatory measures against the United States, including placing six American companies on a sanctions blacklist and tightening export controls on drones. These actions follow recent US trade sanctions linked to forced labor concerns and national security issues.

US-China Trade Tensions Escalate

The latest round of tensions between the two economic superpowers began when Washington introduced new tariffs targeting Beijing and over 50 other countries. US President Donald Trump argued that these measures were necessary to address trade deficits he deemed unfair to the United States.

In response, a Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson stated that the US actions “seriously harm China’s legitimate rights and interests.” The ministry announced it would take countermeasures, including strengthening export controls on drones and their key components and technology to the US.

Beijing's Enforcement Strategy

As part of its enforcement strategy, the Chinese government suspended factory follow-up inspections conducted by domestic certification bodies. It also blacklisted six US compliance testing firms and launched national security investigations into imports of office copiers and printers.

The ministry stated that these actions were necessary due to the nature of the blacklisted firms’ assistance in supporting illegal US sanctions related to Xinjiang, a region where Beijing has faced international scrutiny over alleged human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims.

China's senior trade envoy He Lifeng expressed “serious concern” to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer over the latest trade restrictions. The renewed friction comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s scheduled visit to the United States on September 24.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.