Business · India Bureau
China Condemns US Sanctions on Five Firms Over IP Theft Claims
Beijing has expressed strong opposition to Washington's sanctions against five Chinese companies linked to a former Google engineer accused of intellectual property theft. China's commerce ministry warned of potential retaliatory measures while urging the US to reverse what it called an unjust decision.
LSN India ·
China's commerce ministry on Tuesday lodged a formal protest against US sanctions targeting five Chinese firms connected to Linwei Ding, founder of Shanghai Zhisuan Technology, which stands accused of misappropriating intellectual property.
In an official statement, Beijing said the sanctions "severely harm the legitimate rights and interests" of Chinese businesses and described the US action as "egregious." The ministry called on Washington to "correct its erroneous practice" and signalled that China would pursue "necessary measures" in response, though it did not elaborate on potential countermeasures.
The US State Department imposed the sanctions following allegations that Ding leveraged his previous experience at Google to attract investment for his startup, claiming the company could replicate Google's advanced artificial intelligence infrastructure. The sanctions also targeted MiraclePlus, a startup incubation programme that had provided seed funding to Zhisuan in exchange for equity stakes.
The move marks the latest flashpoint in escalating US-China tensions over technology and intellectual property disputes, reflecting Washington's heightened scrutiny of Chinese firms accused of acquiring sensitive American technology through questionable means.