US blacklists Chinese firm Skyrizon

The US government has blacklisted Chinese aerospace firm Skyrizon – also known as Beijing Skyrizon Aviation – over its efforts to acquire foreign military technologies. In recent years, the Chinese firm has been linked with bids to acquire Ukrainian aircraft engine manufacturer Motor Sich.

The Department of Commerce (DoC) said in a statement on 14 January that it has placed Skyrizon on its Military End-User (MEU) list, which was launched in December 2020 to prevent identified enterprises from acquiring sensitive dual-use US technologies.

According to the DoC, Skyrizon’s capability to develop, produce, and maintain military items including military aircraft engines represented a “threat to US national security”.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in the statement, “Skyrizon – a Chinese state-owned company – and its push to acquire and indigenize foreign military technologies pose a significant threat to US national security and foreign policy interests.”

He added, “This [MEU listing] serves to warn the export community of Skyrizon’s significant ties to the People’s Liberation Army.”

In addition to Skyrizon, the DoC added the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to its ‘entity list’, which identifies firms that are prohibited from involvement in the export, re-export, or in-country transfers of US dual-use technologies without authorisation.

The DoC said CNOOC has supported China’s efforts to construct artificial islands and disputed outposts in the South China Sea.

The US government already prohibits military sales to China, although the MEU list requires US exporters to obtain licences for supplies of technologies and equipment that are sold for civilian use but are thought by the US government to support the country’s military.