G42, the Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company, has denied any links with the Chinese government and military, dismissing the allegations as "unfounded and irresponsible".
In response to the claims that surfaced in the US this week, G42 said that while it had partnerships with "some" Chinese entities, "such engagements are standard practice among global technology companies".
They are part of having "established a worldwide network of partnerships over time", the company said in a statement on Thursday.
"G42 operates within strict compliance and ethical boundaries, adhering to all applicable laws and regulations. Any innuendo suggesting otherwise is unfounded and irresponsible," it said.
On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives was presented with a letter by congressman Mike Gallagher that made claims about G42's business ties with Chinese entities.
Among the entities named were technology major Huawei and the Beijing Genomics Institute, companies blacklisted in the US and with which G42 was alleged to have maintained "active relationships".
The letter, first obtained by The New York Times, claimed the hardware and software developed by G42 could be misused and pose a threat to national security.
G42 has business partnerships with several US companies, including Microsoft, computer maker Dell and, most recently, ChatGPT developer OpenAI.
Mr Gallagher urged Washington to add G42, along with its 13 affiliates and subsidiaries, to the Entity List, a trade blacklist that prohibits companies from accessing US services, products and technology without government approval.
"Without restrictions on G42, the hardware and software developed by these US companies are at significant risk for diversion to G42's PRC-based affiliates," Mr Gallagher wrote in the letter, referring to China.
Mr Gallagher, a Republican is chairman of the House select committee on the Chinese Communist Party. The committee was formed in 2023, oversees economic and security relations between the US and China, the world's two biggest economies.
"We categorically deny the allegations in the recent New York Times article and the letter from the US Congress House select committee on the Chinese Communist Party to the US Department of Commerce regarding G42's supposed connections to the Chinese government and their military industrial complex," G42 said.
Mr Gallagher's letter also alleged that G42 group chief executive Peng Xiao "operates and is affiliated with an expansive network of companies that materially support" technological advancements in China's military.
G42 denied the claim and said "in the field of advanced technologies, we have pursued a commercial strategy since 2022 to fully align with our US partners and not to engage with Chinese companies", noting that this was emphasised by Mr Xiao in a media interview last month.
In a brief statement to The National, G42 said "at the moment, we are unable to comment further".
The US has been scrutinising the operations of Chinese technology companies, claiming they pose a threat to American national security.
The economic and trade rivalry between the countries escalated during the administration of former president Donald Trump, when Washington began vigorously cracking down on Chinese entities, imposing sanctions and adding several organisations into the Entity List.
Huawei was among the major companies blacklisted by the US.
The smartphone maker, a key rival to Apple and Samsung Electronics, was forced to cease collaborating with US companies, eventually losing access to Google's Android system, the most widely used mobile operating system in the world.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
