The USA is preparing to take tougher measures by increasing its pressure on China. Authorities have promised to impose tougher sanctions and carry out more comprehensive checks on compliance. At the same time, Washington continues to crack down on companies accused of having ties to the Chinese government. The last company targeted was Lenovo.
Members of the US House Select Committee asked the Navy Exchange to stop selling Lenovo products, comparing Lenovo to Huawei and ZTE. Navy Exchange (NEX) can be described as a retail chain serving the US Armed Forces. Military personnel and their families can benefit from this company’s stores.
According to the House Select Committee, there are connections between Lenovo and Beijing that could pose national security problems for Washington. Therefore, Lenovo products should be removed from the shelves of US government stores. The letter in question was signed by Mike Gallagher, a congressman from Wisconsin.
Lenovo responded to the accusations
The letter sent to the Navy Exchange states that Lenovo products should not be sold to American military personnel and that these products should not even be encouraged with tax-free sales or discounts. There are also statements claiming that Lenovo is affiliated with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (i.e. the Chinese army) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Lenovo’s response was quick. “Lenovo is in no way affiliated with the Chinese military, funded or controlled by the Chinese Government or the Chinese Communist Party. It does not participate in or have affiliations with cyber espionage campaigns conducted by the Chinese state,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
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