China slams U.S. for blacklisting six Chinese entities

BEIJING (Reuters) -China resolutely opposes Washington adding six Chinese entities to its trade blacklist after a Chinese balloon was detected over the United States last week and shot down, China’s commerce ministry said on Tuesday.

“China hopes the U.S. will stop unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises, and will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” the ministry said.

The Biden administration last Friday blacklisted six Chinese entities connected to Beijing’s suspected surveillance balloon program.

The entities include the government-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 48th Research Institute, as well as Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology, a unit of Shanghai-listed developer Deluxe Family.

(Reporting by Ella Cao and Liz Lee, editing by Ed Osmond and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)