The Bloomberg resource announced the start of a lawsuit against the United States by the Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi. Xiaomi intends to court order the US government to cancel its blacklist, which it called «unconstitutional».
The lawsuit names US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as defendants, although they were not in their current positions at the time Xiaomi was blacklisted by the Donald Trump administration. Austin and Yellen were appointed to their current positions by Joe Biden, who took office on January 20.
Due to the blacklist, US investors are now prohibited from buying securities from Xiaomi. They will also have to get rid of their assets by November 11, 2021. This can have serious consequences for the company. * «Xiaomi will face imminent, severe and irreparable damage if the order remains in place and the restrictions go into effect,» the company said.
Under the Trump administration, Chinese smartphone and network equipment companies such as Huawei and ZTE have been cited as a national security threat. Ironically, Xiaomi does not sell its smartphones in the US, only shipping a few products to the country, including power banks and the popular Xiaomi Mi Band fitness tracker.
Commenting on the lawsuit, Xiaomi made the following statement: «The Company complies with the law and operates in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it operates. The Company reiterates that it provides products and services for civil and commercial use. The Company affirms that it is not owned, controlled, or is affiliated with the Chinese Armed Forces and is not a «military company of the Chinese communist regime» as defined by the NDAA. The Company will take appropriate measures to protect its interests and the interests of its shareholders.».