Xiaomi says the administration’s claims of Chinese military ties are ‘factually incorrect’
In his final days as the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump added nine Chinese companies, including smartphone maker Xiaomi, to a list of firms suspected to be owned or controlled by China’s military. When placed on the list, the companies become subject to harsh restrictions and cannot benefit from American investment. In response, Xiaomi announced that it has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the last-minute blacklisted status.
The phone manufacturer maintains that the Trump administration’s decision “was factually incorrect and has deprived the company of legal due process.”
The statement continued: “With a view to protecting the interests of the global users, partners, employees and shareholders of (Xiaomi), the company has pleaded to the courts to declare the decision illegal and that it be reverse.”
Due to the timing of the ban, many view the decision as an attempt to reinforce Trump’s trade war legacy with China, and in doing so, potentially leaving the new Biden administration with a complicated international relationship to address
When Xiaomi was added to the list earlier this month, the company released a statement, which it shared on Twitter, stating that it has complied with relevant laws and regulations of jurisdictions where is conducts its businesses, and confirmed that the company is “not owned, controlled or affiliated with the Chinese military, and is not a ‘Communist Chinese Military Company’ defined under the NDAA.”