Hong Kong's Hutchison Group, Which Runs Mobile Carrier 3, Protests As USA Puts It On New China Ban List

The CK Hutchison Group, the Hong-Kong-based conglomerate that operates the “3” mobile brand and maintains plenty of other telecoms investments, wants to clear its name after it appeared on a new list of companies the USA designates as military end users to which US companies cannot export.

US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross his Department “recognizes the importance of leveraging its partnerships with U.S. and global companies to combat efforts by China and Russia to divert U.S. technology for their destabilizing military programs.”

Among the 108 companies named on the new list is an outfit called “Hutchison Optel Telecom Technology Co., Ltd.”

That listing saw CK Hutchison Group publish a statement titled “Hutchison Optel Telecom Technology not a CK Hutchison Group company.”

“CK Hutchison Group sold all its shares in Hutchison Optel in 2015. As a result, the Group no longer has any ownership or relation with the stated company,” the statement says. “We understand this company has subsequently changed its name and no longer carries the ‘Hutchison’ brand.”

Indeed, it has changed name: it’s now known as “Chongqing Optel Telecom Technology Co.”

The Register wishes American companies luck with their compliance efforts and notes that President Trump and many of his appointees leave office on January 20th, 2021. ®