Madrid, 16 (European Press)

The US Department of Commerce has designated several Chinese entities on security grounds because China’s actions endanger US national security by using advances in biotechnology to suppress Uyghur citizens in Xinjiang and for military purposes.

“Biotechnology and medical innovation can be used to save lives. Unfortunately, China has chosen to use these technologies to impose control over its own population and oppress members of religious and ethnic minorities,” said Commerce Minister Gina M. Raimondo.

In this sense, he noted that the United States “will continue to struggle to prevent these tools from falling into the hands of China and thus aiding security and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.

The US government’s decision comes after Washington imposed restrictions on facial recognition company SenseTime, and the issue could increase tension between the two countries.

These actions occur in a context in which the administration of US President Joe Biden has committed to addressing the misuse of technology “to monitor and, in many cases, carry out acts of repression and social control.”

The United Nations and human rights groups estimate that more than one million people, mostly Uyghurs and members of minority groups, have been detained and held in camps in the Xinjiang region.