China’s leading scientists advised to keep a low profile in their work as US steps up pressure on tech firms
- Xi Jinping’s top economic adviser, Liu He, issues advice during visit to Chinese Academy of Sciences
- United States continues to target Chinese tech firms with supercomputing firms added to blacklist over the weekend
The top economic aide to China’s President Xi Jinping has told researchers at the country’s leading scientific institution to keep a “low profile” and stay down to earth.
The comments by Vice-Premier Liu He were published on the website of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on Monday but Friday’s visit was not reported in state media.
His visit came amid a deepening “technology war” with Washington restricting exports of key components to China while Beijing blamed the US for trying to impede the country’s technological advancement.
On Friday the US Commerce Department blacklisted five Chinese organisations working on supercomputers, citing national security concerns, having already blocked the technology giant Huawei from US markets.
The latest move targeted Sugon, an enterprise backed by the CAS, and three of its subsidiaries, as well as the Wuxi Jiangnan Institute, which the US said was linked to China’s military.