Biden issues order restricting US investments in Chinese technology

In a sign of growing strains between the world’s two biggest powers, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday that would block and regulate high-tech US-based investments going toward China. It covers advanced computer chips, micro electronics, quantum information technologies and artificial intelligence.

Senior administration officials said that the effort stemmed from national security goals, rather than economic interests and that the categories it covered were narrow in scope. The order seeks to blunt China’s ability to use US investments in its technology companies to upgrade its military while also preserving broader levels of trade that are vital for both nations’ economies.