Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa. Simon covers the U.S. government, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington D.C. He can be reached on [email protected]
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. signed an executive order on Thursday amending a Trump-era ban on U.S. investment in Chinese companies, and naming 59 companies with ties to China’s military and intelligence services.
The companies affected include Huawei Technologies Co. and China’s three biggest telecommunication firms.
President Biden’s ban on new investments take effect on August 12 at 12.01 a.m. in New York, and investors will take one year from that time to fully divest.
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Former President Trump’s policy on China was challenged in court and the business world has been watching to see how President Biden would approach the situation.
The White House detailed the administration’s actions against China in a fact sheet.
Today, President Biden signed an Executive Order (E.O.) to further address the ongoing national emergency declared in E.O. 13959 of November 12, 2020 with respect to the threat posed by the military-industrial complex of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). President Biden also expanded the scope of this national emergency by finding that the use of Chinese surveillance technology outside the PRC, as well as the development or use of Chinese surveillance technology to facilitate repression or serious human rights abuses, constitute unusual and extraordinary threats. This E.O. allows the United States to prohibit – in a targeted and scoped manner – U.S. investments in Chinese companies that undermine the security or democratic values of the United States and our allies.
Specifically, the E.O. the President is signing today will:
Solidify and strengthen a previous E.O to prohibit U.S. investments in the military-industrial complex of the People’s Republic of China: This E.O. will amend E.O. 13959 by creating a sustainable and strengthened framework for imposing prohibitions on investments in Chinese defense and surveillance technology firms. The E.O. prohibits United States persons from engaging in the purchase or sale of any publicly traded securities of any person listed in the Annex to the E.O. or determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, and, as the Secretary of the Treasury deems appropriate, the Secretary of Defense:
- To operate or have operated in the defense and related materiel sector or the surveillance technology sector of the economy of the PRC; or
- To own or control, or to be owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, a person who operates or has operated in any sector described above, or a person who is listed in the Annex to this E.O. or who has otherwise been determined to be subject to the prohibitions in this E.O.
Ensure that U.S. investments are not supporting Chinese companies that undermine the security or values of the United States and our allies: This E.O. prevents U.S. investment from supporting the Chinese defense sector, while also expanding the U.S. Government’s ability to address the threat of Chinese surveillance technology firms that contribute — both inside and outside China — to the surveillance of religious or ethnic minorities or otherwise facilitate repression and serious human rights abuses. It signals that the Administration will not hesitate to prevent U.S. capital from flowing into the PRC’s defense and related materiel sector, including companies that support the PRC’s military, intelligence, and other security research and development programs; or into Chinese companies that develop or use Chinese surveillance technology to facilitate repression or serious human rights abuse. Tackling these challenges head-on is consistent with the Biden Administration’s commitment to protecting core U.S. national security interests and democratic values, and the Administration will continue to update the list of PRC entities as appropriate. At the same time, the E.O.’s prohibitions are intentionally targeted and scoped.
The President listed the following 59 entities as subject to the E.O.’s prohibitions. The prohibitions against the entities listed in the Annex to this E.O. shall take effect beginning at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on August 2, 2021. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) will also list these 59 entities on its new Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List (NS-CMIC List).
Defense and Related Materiel Sector of the Economy of the PRC:
Aero Engine Corporation of China; Aerospace CH UAV Co., Ltd; Aerospace Communications Holdings Group Company Limited; Aerosun Corporation; Anhui Greatwall Military Industry Company Limited; Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd.; AVIC Aviation High-Technology Company Limited; AVIC Heavy Machinery Company Limited; AVIC Jonhon Optronic Technology Co., Ltd.; AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Company Limited; AVIC Xi’An Aircraft Industry Group Company Ltd.; Changsha Jingjia Microelectronics Company Limited China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology; China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited; China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation; China Aerospace Times Electronics Co., Ltd; China Avionics Systems Company Limited; China Communications Construction Company Limited; China Electronics Technology Group Corporation; China General Nuclear Power Corporation; China Marine Information Electronics Company Limited; China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd.; China National Nuclear Corporation; China National Offshore Oil Corporation; China North Industries Group Corporation Limited; China Nuclear Engineering Corporation Limited; China Railway Construction Corporation Limited; China Satellite Communications Co., Ltd.; China Shipbuilding Industry Company Limited; China Shipbuilding Industry Group Power Company Limited; China South Industries Group Corporation; China Spacesat Co., Ltd.; China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited; China Telecommunications Corporation; China United Network Communications Group Co., Ltd.; Costar Group Co., Ltd.; CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group) Company Limited; Fujian Torch Electron Technology Co., Ltd.; Guizhou Space Appliance Co., Ltd; Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd.; Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.; Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group Co., Ltd.; Inspur Group Co., Ltd.; Jiangxi Hongdu Aviation Industry Co., Ltd.; Nanjing Panda Electronics Company Limited; North Navigation Control Technology Co., Ltd.; Panda Electronics Group Co., Ltd.; Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation; Shaanxi Zhongtian Rocket Technology Company Limited; and Zhonghang Electronic Measuring Instruments Company Limited.
Surveillance Technology Sector of the Economy of the PRC:
Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd. and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Own or Control, or Owned or Controlled by, Directly or Indirectly, a Person Who Operates or Has Operated in at Least One of These Two Sectors of the PRC Economy, or a Person Who Is Listed in the Annex to the E.O.:
China Communications Construction Group (Limited); China Electronics Corporation; China Mobile Limited; China Telecom Corporation Limited; China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited; CNOOC Limited; Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.; Panda Electronics Group Co., Ltd.; Proven Glory Capital Limited; and Proven Honour Capital Limited.
Biden’s executive order: Addressing the threat from securities investments that finance certain companies of the People’s Republic of China
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, find that additional steps are necessary to address the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13959 of November 12, 2020 (Addressing the Threat From Securities Investments That Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies), including the threat posed by the military-industrial complex of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its involvement in military, intelligence, and security research and development programs, and weapons and related equipment production under the PRC’s Military-Civil Fusion strategy. In addition, I find that the use of Chinese surveillance technology outside the PRC and the development or use of Chinese surveillance technology to facilitate repression or serious human rights abuse constitute unusual and extraordinary threats, which have their source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, and I hereby expand the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13959 to address those threats.
| Accordingly, I hereby order as follows: Section 1. Sections 1 through 5 of Executive Order 13959, as amended by Executive Order 13974 of January 13, 2021 (Amending Executive Order 13959 — Addressing the Threat From Securities Investments That Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies), are hereby replaced and superseded in their entirety to read as follows: “Section 1. (a) The following activities by a United States person are prohibited: the purchase or sale of any publicly traded securities, or any publicly traded securities that are derivative of such securities or are designed to provide investment exposure to such securities, of any person listed in the Annex to this order or of any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, and, as the Secretary of the Treasury deems appropriate, the Secretary of Defense: (i) to operate or have operated in the defense and related materiel sector or the surveillance technology sector of the economy of the PRC; or (ii) to own or control, or to be owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, a person who operates or has operated in any sector described in subsection (a)(i) of this section, or a person who is listed in the Annex to this order or who has otherwise been determined to be subject to the prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section. (b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section shall take effect: (i) beginning at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on August 2, 2021, with respect to any person listed in the Annex to this order; or (ii) beginning at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on the date that is 60 days after the date of the determination in subsection (a) of this section with respect to any person not listed in the Annex to this order. (c) The purchase or sale of publicly traded securities described in subsection (a) of this section made solely to effect the divestment, in whole or in part, of such securities by a United States person is permitted prior to: (i) 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on June 3, 2022, with respect to any person listed in the Annex to this order; or (ii) 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on the date that is 365 days after the date of the determination in subsection (a) of this section with respect to any person not listed in the Annex to this order. (d) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted before the date of this order. Sec. 2. (a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited. (b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited. Sec. 3. For the purposes of this order: (a) the term “entity” means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; (b) the term “person” means an individual or entity; (c) the term “publicly traded securities” includes any “security,” as defined in section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Public Law 73–291 (as codified as amended at 15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(10)), denominated in any currency that trades on a securities exchange or through the method of trading that is commonly referred to as “over-the-counter,” in any jurisdiction; and (d) the term “United States person” means any United States citizen, lawful permanent resident, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States. Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions within the Department of the Treasury. All executive departments and agencies (agencies) of the United States shall take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order. Sec. 5. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to submit recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)). Sec. 6. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, and, as the Secretary of the Treasury deems appropriate, the Secretary of Defense, is hereby authorized to determine that circumstances no longer warrant the application of the prohibitions in section 1(a) of this order with respect to a person listed in the Annex to this order, and to take necessary action to give effect to that determination.” Sec. 2. The Annex to Executive Order 13959 is replaced and superseded in its entirety by the Annex to this order. Sec. 3. Section 6 of Executive Order 13959 is amended to replace “Sec. 6.” with “Sec. 7.” Sec. 4. Executive Order 13974 is hereby revoked in its entirety. The Secretary of the Treasury and the heads of agencies shall take all necessary steps to rescind any orders or prohibitions issued prior to the date of this order implementing or enforcing Executive Order 13974 or the versions of sections 1 through 5 of Executive Order 13959 replaced and superseded by section 1 of this order. Sec. 5. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR. THE WHITE HOUSE, June 3, 2021. Annex AERO ENGINE CORPORATION OF CHINA AEROSPACE CH UAV CO., LTD AEROSPACE COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS GROUP COMPANY LIMITED AEROSUN CORPORATION ANHUI GREATWALL MILITARY INDUSTRY COMPANY LIMITED AVIATION INDUSTRY CORPORATION OF CHINA, LTD. AVIC AVIATION HIGH-TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED AVIC HEAVY MACHINERY COMPANY LIMITED AVIC JONHON OPTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. AVIC SHENYANG AIRCRAFT COMPANY LIMITED AVIC XI’AN AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY GROUP COMPANY LTD. CHANGSHA JINGJIA MICROELECTRONICS COMPANY LIMITED CHINA ACADEMY OF LAUNCH VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY CHINA AEROSPACE SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY CORPORATION LIMITED CHINA AEROSPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION CHINA AEROSPACE TIMES ELECTRONICS CO., LTD CHINA AVIONICS SYSTEMS COMPANY LIMITED CHINA COMMUNICATIONS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED CHINA COMMUNICATIONS CONSTRUCTION GROUP (LIMITED) CHINA ELECTRONICS CORPORATION CHINA ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY GROUP CORPORATION CHINA GENERAL NUCLEAR POWER CORPORATION CHINA MARINE INFORMATION ELECTRONICS COMPANY LIMITED CHINA MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP CO., LTD. CHINA MOBILE LIMITED CHINA NATIONAL NUCLEAR CORPORATION CHINA NATIONAL OFFSHORE OIL CORPORATION CHINA NORTH INDUSTRIES GROUP CORPORATION LIMITED CHINA NUCLEAR ENGINEERING CORPORATION LIMITED CHINA RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION LIMITED CHINA SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS CO., LTD. CHINA SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY COMPANY LIMITED CHINA SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY GROUP POWER COMPANY LIMITED CHINA SOUTH INDUSTRIES GROUP CORPORATION CHINA SPACESAT CO., LTD. CHINA STATE SHIPBUILDING CORPORATION LIMITED CHINA TELECOM CORPORATION LIMITED CHINA TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION CHINA UNICOM (HONG KONG) LIMITED CHINA UNITED NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS GROUP CO., LTD. CNOOC LIMITED COSTAR GROUP CO., LTD. CSSC OFFSHORE & MARINE ENGINEERING (GROUP) COMPANY LIMITED FUJIAN TORCH ELECTRON TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. GUIZHOU SPACE APPLIANCE CO., LTD HANGZHOU HIKVISION DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. HUAWEI INVESTMENT & HOLDING CO., LTD. HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. INNER MONGOLIA FIRST MACHINERY GROUP CO., LTD. INSPUR GROUP CO., LTD. JIANGXI HONGDU AVIATION INDUSTRY CO., LTD. NANJING PANDA ELECTRONICS COMPANY LIMITED NORTH NAVIGATION CONTROL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. PANDA ELECTRONICS GROUP CO., LTD. PROVEN GLORY CAPITAL LIMITED PROVEN HONOUR CAPITAL LIMITED SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION SHAANXI ZHONGTIAN ROCKET TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED ZHONGHANG ELECTRONIC MEASURING INSTRUMENTS COMPANY LIMITED |
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