China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC; 中国电子科技集团公司; zhongguo dianzi keji jituan gongsi[5]) is a Chinesestate-owned company established in 2002. Its fields include communications equipment, computers, electronic equipment, IT infrastructure, networks, software development, research services, investment and asset management for civilian and military applications.[6][7] It was founded with the stated goal of leveraging civilian electronics for the benefit of the People's Liberation Army.[5]
In 2021, CETC became the third largest electronics and IT company in China after absorbing Potevio, with a combined revenue of $53 billion in 2019, behind only Huawei and Lenovo.[8]
The company also handles electronic parts and systems for radars, missiles, key components for satellites in the BeiDou network, semiconductors, antennas for wireless infrastructure as well as equipment for autonomous-driving technology.[8]
In 2012, CETC celebrated their tenth anniversary and had 80,000 employees at the time.[5]
In March 2016, the government tasked the company with developing software to identify potential terrorists; using data on jobs, hobbies, consumption habits, and other behaviors.[10]
In June 2017, CETC successfully launched the world's largest fixed-wing drone swarm to date. The drones in the swarm were a commercial fixed-wing model produced by Skywalker Technology, a Wuhan-based company.[11]
Following the 2023 Chinese balloon incident, the U.S. Commerce Department added CETC's 48 Research Institute to the Entity List for supporting "China's military modernization efforts, specifically the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) aerospace programs including airships and balloons."[26][27] In May 2024, the U.S. Commerce Department added further units of CETC to the Entity List.[28]
^ abHille, Kathrin; Sevastopulo, Demetri (2024-05-19). "The battlegrounds that could decide a US-China war over Taiwan". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2024-05-20. Between 2016 and 2019, state-owned defence contractor China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) built a smattering of fixed and floating platforms studded with sensors and transmission devices in the northern part of the South China Sea, between the Paracel Islands and Hainan, where its main submarine base is located.
^Shih, Gerry (December 18, 2017). "Digital police state shackles Chinese minority". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017. The facial scanner is made by China Electronics Technology Group (CETC), a state-owned defense contractor that has spearheaded China's fast-growing field of predictive policing with Xinjiang as its test bed. The AP found 27 CETC bids for Xinjiang government contracts, including one soliciting a facial recognition system for facilities and centers in Hotan Prefecture.