TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — S&P Dow Jones Indices (DJI) announced on Thursday (Dec. 10) that it would remove 21 Chinese firms from its equities and bond indices in response to a Trump administration order blocking purchases of certain Chinese stocks by American investors.

The index provider said it would remove shares of 10 Chinese companies, including Hikvision and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), from all equity indices before the market opens on Dec. 21, Reuters reported. S&P DJI said it will also remove 11 securities issued by Chinese firms from its fixed income indices prior to Jan. 1.

Hikvision and SMIC did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the report. The decision by S&P DJI follows last week's move by index provider FTSE Russell, which said it would remove eight Chinese companies from its products to comply with Trump’s November executive order.

The order bans American investors from owning or trading any securities that the Department of Defense designates as being owned or controlled by the Chinese military. U.S. investors have until November 2021 to divest from the firms.

The initial list included 31 companies, but last Thursday (Dec. 3), the Department of Defense added another four companies: SMIC, China National Offshore Oil Corp., China Construction Technology Co. Ltd., and China International Engineering Consulting Corp.

U.S. officials have long said that Chinese companies are controlled by the government and collect sensitive information for the People’s Liberation Army. Beijing claims it does not engage in industrial espionage.