U.S. limits exports to flight schools, others for training Chinese military pilots

Frontier Services

12/06/2023 16:16

By Karen Freifeld
       June 12 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Monday
added 43 entities to an export control list, including Frontier
Services Group Ltd, a security and aviation company previously
run by Erik Prince, for training Chinese military pilots and
other activities that threaten U.S. national security, 
    The Test Flying Academy of South Africa, a flight school
under scrutiny by authorities in Britain for recruiting British
ex-military pilots to train Chinese military fliers, was also
added to the Entity List.
    The listed companies are restricted from receiving U.S.
exports for other activities deemed contrary to U.S. interests,
including acquiring U.S. items for China’s military
modernization. 
    The new listings include numerous aviation companies and
flying academies including Frontier Services Group Ltd at sites
in China, Kenya, Laos and the United Arab Emirates; TFASA units
in China, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom; and
AVIC entities in China and South Africa. 
    The aviation-related companies were listed for providing
training to Chinese military pilots using Western and NATO
sources, according to a rule posted for the Federal Register.
    In addition, companies were listed for enabling China to
carry out human rights abuses, including as part of its
repression of the Ugyhur Muslims and members of other minority
groups in Xinjiang, western China.

 (Reporting by Karen Freifeld
Editing by Alistair Bell)
 ((karen.freifeld@thomsonreuters.com; +1(646) 223-6921;))