US bans Chinese firms – including one linked to HPE’s China JV – for feeding tech to Beijing's military

The US Dept of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security has added 27 companies to its list of entities prohibited from doing business with the USA on grounds they threaten national security – and one of the firms is associated with HPE’s Chinese joint venture H3C. A preliminary announcement [PDF] of the bans lists a company …

[Anonymous Coward]

Excuse me?

I think you will find that Pakistan is our closest ally and a vital bulwark against not only terrorism but the Soviet Union encroachment in Afghanistan.

If they have nuclear weapons, which we pretend they don't because then we would have to go all Iran on them, it is only to defend themselves against the Godless commie hoards in India

(opinion subject to change if India decides to replace it's Migs and Sukhois with F35s)

[Nightkiller]

Re: Excuse me?

Yes.

They have many representatives in Bradford and Manchester.

[Totally not a Cylon]

Pot meet Kettle.....

Our companies are good patriots only working for the betterment of their country

whereas

Yours are just out to grab all our technology.....

But which countries am I referencing? Could be any two (or more)

[Binraider]

Given that some of the nuclear capability in NK is derived from publically available drawings of former CEGB designs; does that expand the ban list to dozens of companies too?

Or university level physics & chemistry textbook writers?

No physics, no nuke. Lot of other stuff out too of course.

[Anonymous Coward]

Back in the days of one of the Iraq wars there was an Iraqi doctor who came to the UK as a refugee, he was siting GCSE chemistry as part of the process to re-certify but was banned from the class (or practicals?) because of "anti-terrorism"

[Pascal Monett]

"you will find it rather difficult to do lawful business with American organizations"

But you will still be able to buy guns and ammo. First ammo shipment free !

[elsergiovolador]

One party one company

These are not companies in the western sense, but rather government departments.

It's a whack-a-mole game - you ban one "company" then Winnie the Pooh will ask another to do the same thing.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: One party one company

> then Winnie the Pooh will ask another to do the same thing.

And Tigger too!

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: One party one company

I thought we banned Tigger because he failed a drug test?

Personally I think he was stealing eeyore's meds

[David Pearce]

Re: One party one company

Of course Boeing is independent of the US taxpayer

[Clausewitz 4.0]

Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

So, basically, USA realized they are not the mightiest military power anymore, cannot use force at will, or will face serious consequences, including existential ones.

With strong encryption, not even NSA can know other country's well-kept secrets.

It is working.

Now, the USA is trying with sanctions, to send anyone with better technical and military capabilities to the stone age.

It is time to finish the trade system based in cryptocurrency in defiance to SWIFT. In alliance. Profits.

[Version 1.0]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

"send anyone with better technical and military capabilities to the stone age"

15,000 years ago the same thing happened, primitives shot their enemies with stone tipped arrows and then found that they we're being shot back with virtually the same stone tips once the injured primitives recovered and pull the "technology" out of their legs and arms and started making their own copies of the arrow tips.

[Clausewitz 4.0]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

Dear, this is a marvelous and bright analogy.

[BOFH in Training]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

Hard to send China to the stone age when I think they have enough talent and knowledge on how to grow their own technology base. And money to hire or buy technical staff, companies, tech (whatever they are not prevented to buy by other countries anyway).

And the China government is known to throw billions of dollars at specific industries when they think they are a national priority. Didn't they just throw 100 billion dollars into the chip fab industry within China to try and catch up just cos of such sanctions from the US?

I think TSMC engineers are being offered double or more pay + special benefits to work in China. How long before they do the same for other industries which China considers critical? And how many people can ignore the large amounts of $$$ offered to work with them?

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

To be fair all countries do the same. We invested $1TN in tax cuts for billionaire hedge fund managers and now we lead the world in them

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

>Hard to send China to the stone age when I think they have enough talent and knowledge on how to grow their own technology base.

But remember China are both ignorant peasants merely trying to steal western ideas that they will slavishly copy and cunningly miles ahead of us with Hypersonic Stargates and so we need at least another 3 aircraft carriers to protect ourselves

[John Savard]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

Lots of people would not consider moving to a country under dictatorial rule for any amount of money. Money is only useful if you live to spend it, and if you can use it to help you lead a happy life. Living under tyranny severely impacts both possibilities.

The people who are too dumb to see that probably will also be unable to be of much help to China's technological advancement.

[zuckzuckgo]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

You appear to believe that the west or at least the US will always win out because: democracy/freedom! The problem with that argument is it leads to complacency which can blind us to the true capabilities and intentions of our potential foes.

[W.S.Gosset]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

> You appear to believe that the west or at least the US will always win out

You appear to believe that this is some sort of game, played for points or for status/hierarchy.

[Clausewitz 4.0]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

It is the game of power.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

>Lots of people would not consider moving to a country under dictatorial rule for any amount of money.

I wonder how many Samsung workers are considering a move to a state where you can get shot by a cop at a traffic stop for having the wrong skin color

And go to jail for having a miscarriage

[Mark Exclamation]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

And where a cop can be shot at a traffic stop for being in a uniform.

[Kabukiwookie]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

Lots of people would not consider moving to a country under dictatorial rule for any amount of money.

Yup, will not even set foot in the US any time soon for a stopover.

[Geez Money]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

Ah yes, famous military ruler for life Joe Biden and his iron fist... Don't cut yourself with that edge.

[Kabukiwookie]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

If you believe that your civilian government holds any real power, you should definitely pay a lot more attention. Your democracy was usurped by corporations a long time ago.

Sock puppet Biden is just there to provide people who don't pay attention with the illusion that their vote on blue or red matters.

[TheMole]

Re: Military / Encryption / Stone Age / SWIFT

"Didn't they just throw 100 billion dollars into the chip fab industry within China to try and catch up just cos of such sanctions from the US?"

That or to prepare for the inevitable shortage after they blitz Taiwan.

[_LC_]

So the US has lost the race …

… and is now fouling everybody daring to surpass them. I'm shocked!

[Version 1.0]

How did this happen?

American companies have been moving production outside the US for years now because it's cheaper to get things made in China than in the US. So the "military problem" has been created by corporate America - it's just a result of commercial profits. A simple solution everywhere would be for countries that want to control their innovations and devices to actually make them themselves. Certainly items could be stolen and then re-manufactured in other countries (remember the DEC PDP-11's appearing in Russia) but at least we would have a degree of control over what we do.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: How did this happen?

Funny, that's what we said about Japan in the 80a

[Anonymous Coward]

If Huawei is banned, why isn't Lenovo?

[_LC_]

They use US components, such as the (backdoored) Qualcomm chips.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Lenovo doesn't sound chinese to voters

[W.S.Gosset]

True

> China, in turn, paints its businesses as just trying to get their hands on the best tech available...

...by any means available.