Chinese wireless communications module maker Quectel Wireless Solutions sued the US Department of Defense recently after Washington placed the company on a blacklist of firms allegedly linked to China's military.
"Quectel has always operated with integrity, transparency and full compliance with the laws and regulations of every jurisdiction in which we do business," the company said in a statement, strongly denying any ties to the Chinese military.
The lawsuit challenges the Pentagon's January decision to add Quectel to a list of so-called Chinese military companies. Quectel is one of the world's largest suppliers of wireless communication modules used in IoT (the internet of things) devices, ranging from smart cars and industrial equipment to logistics systems and consumer electronics.
The Pentagon has increasingly expanded its blacklist of Chinese technology firms in recent years as Washington seeks to curb Beijing's rise in technology. The latest list of Chinese companies, mandated under US law as the "Section 1260H list", designated 134 companies, including chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies, Quectel Wireless Solutions and drone maker Autel Robotics.
In fact, the move came just weeks after the Pentagon removed two companies, including Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc China, a leading Chinese chip equipment manufacturer, from the blacklist.
