“President Trump has directed the Commerce Department to be vigilant in its protection of national security activities,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. Last year, Xi personally requested that Trump remove a similar listing against the Chinese company ZTE, another telecommunications giant. Trump is seeking a number of concessions from Chinese officials as part of a broad trade agreement that he believes will increase U.S. exports and prohibit Chinese companies from stealing U.S. intellectual property. Security officials say the issue is one of national security, not trade. Last year, for instance, he cited a little-used national security provision of a 1962 law to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.

Source: Washington Post May 15, 2019 20:37 UTC