BEIJING — China’s Ministry of Commerce stated Thursday the U.S. is weaponizing export controls and utilizing them as a software.
”We’re extremely involved about the US’ direct intervention and interference within the difficulty of high-tech exports by Dutch corporations to China,” spokesperson Shu Jueting stated on the ministry’s first press convention in 2024, based on a CNBC translation of her Mandarin-language remarks.
“The USA has instrumentalized and weaponized export management points,” she stated, calling for the Dutch aspect to “respect the spirit of the contract and help companies in conducting compliant commerce.”
She was responding to a query about ASML, the Netherlands-based firm that makes lithography machines which might be key to manufacturing superior semiconductors.
ASML stated in a Jan. 1 assertion the Dutch authorities restricted it from exporting some lithography merchandise to China.
The Dutch authorities final yr introduced new restrictions on exporting sure gear for manufacturing superior chips. The transfer adopted U.S. export controls aimed toward limiting the Chinese language army’s entry to high-end semiconductor expertise.
ASML said in the statement that after discussions with the U.S. authorities, it discovered the newest U.S. export guidelines in October cowl sure lithography instruments.
China “firmly opposes” such strikes and can take “vital measures” to guard Chinese language enterprise pursuits, Shu stated.
The ministry final yr introduced export controls on some metals utilized in chipmaking.
U.S.-China commerce talks deal with chips
Chinese language Commerce Minister Wang Wentao additionally raised issues about U.S. chip export controls in a name Thursday with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, based on the ministry.
Wang “targeted on expressing critical concern about U.S. restrictions on third-party exports of lithography machines to China, investigations into the provision chain of legacy chips and sanctions that suppress Chinese language corporations,” the ministry stated in a Chinese-language readout translated by CNBC.
The U.S. Division of Commerce didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark exterior of U.S. enterprise hours.