Chinese tech companies on Tuesday voiced their strong opposition to the U.S. government's decision to add them to a trade blacklist, saying that such a move will hurt U.S. suppliers and hamper global efforts to improve human rights around the world.
A corporate spokesperson of Chinese video surveillance company Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co said in a statement to China Daily that Hikvision opposes the decision.
"Punishing Hikvision… will deter global companies from communicating with the U.S. government, hurt Hikvision's U.S. businesses partners and negatively impact the U.S. economy," the spokesperson said.
The comments came after the U.S. government placed eight Chinese technology giants on a U.S. blacklist on Monday, accusing them of being implicated in human rights violations.
Companies on the list are prohibited from doing business with U.S. suppliers without a special government license.
According to Hikvision, the company, as the security industry's global leader, respects human rights and takes its responsibility to protect people in the U.S. and the world seriously.
Hikvision has been engaging with U.S. administration officials over the past 12 months to clarify misunderstandings about the company and address concerns.
In January 2019, Hikvision retained human rights expert and former U.S. ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper to advise the company on human rights compliance.
