Part of Chinese military? – DJI takes legal action against entry on US blacklist

The Chinese drone manufacturer DJI does not want to be classified by the US government as part of the Chinese military industry and is therefore now going to court. Bloomberg reports this with reference to the company. DJI speaks of more than 16 months of talks with the US Department of Defense, all of which were unsuccessful. As a result, the company now sees no alternative to attempting to sue in a US federal court. DJI is neither owned nor controlled by the Chinese military. The US government itself even acknowledges that the company manufactures drones for private and commercial use, but not for the military, DJI claims.

Not only DJI affected

DJI's criticism relates to a US government blacklist that is intended to exclude foreign companies from US investments. Companies on the list are considered part of the Chinese military industry. However, the companies concerned are still allowed to sell their products and services in the USA. DJI is one of several dozen companies on the list, which also includes Huawei and Hikvision. Prior to its inclusion on the blacklist, the drone manufacturer was also accused of being involved in the surveillance of the Uyghur, predominantly Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region in northwest China.

Just a few weeks ago, China announced that it would tighten export controls on various devices, including civilian drones, if they could be used in armed conflicts. The export bans were extended without naming specific countries. The People's Republic has thus responded to another accusation made by the USA. The US claims that Russia is being supported in its war of aggression against Ukraine through the sale of drones and other war-capable components and has already threatened China with sanctions as a result. China denies this, but nevertheless wants to regulate exports more strictly for two years.

(mho)