WASHINGTON, May 30 Reuters The U.S. government is closely scrutinizing exports to China and last year denied or took no action on a quarter of requests in order to stop sales that would advance Beijing39;s militarization, a senior official said in testimony released on Tuesday.

In 2022, 5,064 export and reexport license applications were reviewed and about 26 were denied or returned without action, Commerce Department assistant secretary Thea Rozman Kendler said in written testimony for a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Wednesday.

We identify sensitive U.S. technologies that would give our adversaries an advantage, develop policies and strategies for protecting these technologies, and review license applications submitted by exporters, Kendler39;s testimony said.

Nearly 700 Chinese parties are subject to the government39;s export controls on what is known as the Entity List, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod said in written testimony. More than 200 have been added since the beginning of the Biden administration, he said.

We leverage our administrative and criminal enforcement, as well as our regulatory authority, to address the diversion of advanced technologies like semiconductors, marine engines, and satellite and rocket prototypes that support Chinas military modernization efforts, Axelrod39;s testimony said.

The goal is to counter China39;s military modernization, human rights abuses, and other activities contrary to…