The US House of Representatives on Monday passed a bill that aims to restrict business with China's WuXi AppTec, BGI and several other biotech companies on national security grounds.

This was the first floor vote for the Biosecure Act, which would prohibit federal contracts with targeted firms and those that do business with them. It passed by 306 to 81, easily topping the two-thirds majority necessary under the process.

The legislation must pass the Senate before it can be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

In March, the Senate's Homeland Security committee voted to approve a similar bill, but it is unclear whether the full Senate will vote on the legislation.

Other companies named are MGI and its California-based subsidiary Complete Genomics. The targeted companies say the measure is based on false and misleading allegations and that it would limit competition. They deny posing any threat to US national security and each say they should not be included in the bill.

The US House of Representatives has also voted to bar new drones from Chinese drone manufacturer DJI from operating in the United States. The bill still needs to be approved by the Senate before it could become law. It would not prevent existing DJI drones from operating in the United States.

DJI sells more than half of all drones in the US. It said the law would hurt the very industry Congress is trying to support. (Reuters)