Chinese language and U.S. flags flutter close to The Bund, earlier than U.S. commerce delegation meet their Chinese language counterparts for talks in Shanghai, China July 30, 2019.
Aly Music | Reuters
BEIJING — China’s Ministry of Commerce mentioned Thursday the U.S. is weaponizing export controls and utilizing them as a instrument.
”We’re extremely involved about the US’ direct intervention and interference within the situation of high-tech exports by Dutch corporations to China,” spokesperson Shu Jueting mentioned on the ministry’s first press convention in 2024, in response to a CNBC translation of her Mandarin-language remarks.
“The US has instrumentalized and weaponized export management points,” she mentioned, calling for the Dutch facet 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 mentioned 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 tools 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 mentioned within the assertion that after discussions with the U.S. authorities, it discovered the most recent 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 mentioned.
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 considerations about U.S. chip export controls in a name Thursday with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, in response to the ministry.
Wang “centered 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 mentioned in a Chinese language-language readout translated by CNBC.
The U.S. Division of Commerce didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark outdoors of U.S. enterprise hours.