Chinese drone giant DJI challenges U.S. military blacklist
The Chinese drone manufacturer DJI has sued the U.S. Department of Defense for "erroneously" placing the company on a blacklist of entities suspected of collaborating with Beijing's military, AFP reported on Saturday.
According to a statement from DJI, on October 18, the company filed a lawsuit to challenge the Department of Defense's erroneous classification of it as a "Chinese military company."
The company was placed on the Pentagon's blacklist in 2022.
Not owned by the Chinese military
In the lawsuit, DJI claims that due to the "unlawful and misguided decision" by the Department of Defense, it "lost business deals, been stigmatized as a national security threat, and been banned from contracting with multiple federal government agencies." It was added that the company "is neither owned nor controlled by the Chinese military."
DJI was previously put on the U.S. Treasury Department's blacklist in 2021 for allegedly supporting surveillance of the Uighur minority in China's Xinjiang region.
U.S. halted imports
Reuters reported on Wednesday that U.S. customs authorities halted the import of DJI drone parts into the United States, citing the Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act. DJI claims it does not use coercion at any stage of production.
The Chinese manufacturer announced the suspension of device sales to Russia in April 2022, to prevent its drones from being used on the front line in Ukraine. Authorities in Kyiv accused the company of providing data on the Ukrainian military to the Russians.
Founded in 2006, DJI Technology Co. is the world's largest consumer drone manufacturer and also has a significant share in the global production of higher-end unmanned aerial vehicles.
