The Biden administration has restricted sales of some US technology to 37 companies and organisations, saying that their activity threatened national security.

Three-quarters of the companies included in the announcement, which was made on Thursday, are based in China.

They include entities that the commerce department said had supported Beijing’s military modernisation or produced technology that risked being diverted for military purposes. The Biden administration has warned in recent weeks that China could be gearing up to provide military support to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Tensions have been brewing between the US and China over the potential for Beijing to get involved in the war.

Secretary of state Antony J. Blinken said last month that he had warned China of “serious consequences” if Beijing were to supply arms or ammunition to Russia. China’s foreign ministry responded on Friday by accusing the US of creating excuses to suppress Chinese businesses and discriminate against them.

It also denied that China had provided weapons to Russia. “China is strongly unsatisfied and opposes this action,” said Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the ministry.