Beijing decries ‘bullying’ US tech curbs that ensnare Chinese firms and products

China's state-run People's Daily on Wednesday condemned U.S. technology restrictions as 'unilateral bullying' and 'discriminatory suppression' against Chinese firms, urging Washington to expand cooperation instead of adding to its restrictive 'Covered List.' The commentary follows U.S. moves to bar new models of Chinese smart vacuum robots and other tech from FCC equipment authorization, with Chinese manufacturers accounting for about one-third of U.S. power inverter imports in 2024 and over 80% of the more than 13,000 robots shipped worldwide in 2025, according to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission and Omdia.

Beijing decries ‘bullying’ US tech curbs that ensnare Chinese firms and products State mouthpiece warns that Washington’s bans on green energy and advanced manufacturing will backfire, while defending China’s open-source AI models Sherry Wang /author/sherry-wang in Beijing A mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist Party has urged Washington to expand its cooperation list with Beijing rather than add to a restrictive “Covered List”, pushing back against broadening US curbs on Chinese technology exports. barring new models https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3362418/chinas-smart-vacuum-giants-swept-us-robot-ban-hitting-top-options-americans?module=inline&pgtype=article from receiving FCC equipment authorisation. “While Washington frames these measures under the banner of ‘non-discrimination’ or ‘national security’, they are in reality discriminatory suppression aimed at Chinese firms and products,” the state-run People’s Daily said in a commentary on Wednesday. The mouthpiece deemed such action “unilateral bullying that blatantly distorts market-economy rules and principles of fair competition”. While the FCC did not explicitly name China, Chinese manufacturers stand to bear the brunt of the restrictions. Around one-third of the power inverters imported into the United States in 2024 came directly from China, according to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Similarly, Chinese vendors accounted for more than 80 per cent of the more than 13,000 robots shipped worldwide in 2025, according to estimates by technology research and advisory group Omdia. Major industry players included AgiBot, Unitree Robotics, UBTech and Leju Robotics. The US has repeatedly deployed the Covered List since 2021 to curb Chinese firms, initially targeting telecommunications and video-surveillance equipment before expanding the scope to drones, routers and testing labs.