China says Xiaomi removal from U.S. blacklist “beneficial”

HONG KONG (AP) — China’s commerce ministry has welcomed the removal of Xiaomi Corp. from a U.S. government blacklist, a day after the U.S. reversed a ban on U.S. investments in the smartphone maker imposed by former President Donald Trump. Gao Feng, a ministry spokesman, said “China has always believed that removing sanctions and restrictions and stopping suppression of Chinese companies will benefit China, the United States, and the world.” Gao’s comments at a briefing Thursday followed a U.S. court filing Wednesday that said the Department of Defense would drop Xiaomi from a blacklist it was added to in January. That would have forced U.S. investors to divest their stakes in the firm.