14 DAY TRIAL // Xiaomi is one of the latest big names facing claims regarding a potential collaboration with the Chinese authorities, and as a result, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) officially banned the company in the country.
The Chinese firm, however, released a short statement today to deny all ties with the Chinese military, explaining the company only builds products for commercial companies and consumers.
In other words, Xiaomi says, the firm isn’t working with the government.
“The company has been in compliance with the law and operating in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations of jurisdictions where it conducts its businesses,” Xiaomi explained in a statement. “The company reiterates that it provides products and services for civilian and commercial use.”
At the same time, Xiaomi denied all claims of a possible collaboration with the Chinese military.
“The company confirms that it is not owned, controlled, or affiliated with the Chinese military, and is not a “Communist Chinese Military Company” defined under the NDAA. The company will take appropriate course of actions to protect the interests of the company and its stakeholders,” it said.
The Huawei ban
Xiaomi is thus becoming “the new Huawei” in the United States, as the Chinese tech giant has also been banned in the country since May 2019.
The sanctions in the United States have had a major impact on Huawei, whose sales dropped dramatically all over the world, mostly as a result of the company no longer allowed to use products developed by American firms.
These include not only Android but also Google services, so Huawei’s new smartphones don’t come with the licensed version of the operating system and do not provide users with access to Google apps and the Google Play Store to install them.