A handful of Chinese companies are set to be removed from MSCI, one of the world’s largest stock indexes, as a result of a United States executive order that identified the firms as having ties to the Chinese military.

China’s leading chipmaker SMIC, China Communications Construction, China Railway Construction Corporation and rolling stock manufacturer CRRC are among seven companies to be removed from MSCI’s global equity indexes at the end of the trading day on Jan. 5.

Another blacklisted company was Hikvision, a surveillance camera manufacturer responsible for some of the equipment used by Chinese authorities to monitor Uighurs in Xinjiang re-education camps.

The decision to remove these firms came after more than 100 market participants worldwide noted that the executive order would challenge the investability of these companies and could significantly affect the processes of global investors, MSCI said.

The stock index may remove more Chinese companies if U.S. authorities update the blacklist, MSCI added.

The White House welcomed the latest move by MSCI. National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot said American investors have for years unknowingly financed companies that have helped the Chinese People’s Liberation Army threaten the U.S. and its allies. “Under President Trump’s leadership, this is coming to an end,” Ullyot said.

Subsidiaries and affiliated companies of the seven blacklisted firms will not be affected, and MSCI is planning to launch versions of the indexes that keep the deleted stocks, it said.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed the executive order last month to ban American companies and individuals from holding shares in 33 companies deemed to be working for the PLA.

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