U.S. says Chinese balloon equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals; blacklists 6 entities.

In response to an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon that flew across American airspace, the US blacklisted six Chinese firms it claimed were connected to Beijing’s aerospace activities.

The five businesses and one research institute will find it more challenging to obtain American technology exports as a result of the economic restrictions announced on Friday, which came after the Biden administration’s commitment to consider additional measures to address Chinese surveillance activities.

The action is likely to intensify the diplomatic spat between the United States and China that was brought on by the balloon, which was shot down last weekend off the coast of North Carolina. Beijing maintains that the balloon was a weather craft that had veered off course, despite the U.S. claim that it was geared to detect and gather intelligence signals.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken hastily postponed a crucial trip to Beijing intended to defuse tensions due to the incident.

The six organizations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security, were singled out for “their support of China’s military modernization initiatives, particularly the PLA’s aerospace programs, including airships and balloons.”

High Altitude Balloons (HAB) are being used by the PLA for espionage and reconnaissance purposes, it claimed.

Don Graves, the deputy secretary of commerce, stated on Twitter that his agency “would not hesitate to continue to apply” such limitations along with other regulatory and enforcement measures “to preserve U.S. national security and sovereignty.”

The six companies are Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group Co., Guangzhou Tian-Hai-Xiang Aviation Technology Co., Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology Co., Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology Co., and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 48th Research Institute.

An inquiry for comments was not immediately answered by the research institute. Unable to be reached were the other five entities.

On instructions from President Joe Biden, a U.S. military fighter jet downed an unidentified object flying off the isolated northern coast of Alaska on Friday. Instead of any information that it was conducting surveillance, the object was shot down because it purportedly presented a threat to the security of commercial aviation.

However, the fact that the two incidents happened so quickly after one another highlights the public’s pressure on Vice President Biden to take a harsh stance against China’s spying program.