WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission said Friday it is investigating Chinese companies including Huawei Technology, ZTE (Shenzhen:000063), Hangzhou Hikvision, China Mobile, China Telecom and others to determine if they are seeking to evade U.S. restrictions.

The Chinese companies have all been placed on the FCC's "Covered List" that deems specific communications equipment and services that pose a threat to U.S. national security.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr said Friday the companies may be still operating in the United States because they do not believe the designation prohibits particular types of operations. Other companies under investigation include Hytera Communications, Dahua Technology Company, Pacifica Networks/ComNet and China Unicom (Americas).