Chinese and U.S. flags fly near the Bund before a U.S. trade delegation meets with a Chinese trade delegation in Shanghai, China, July 30, 2019.
Ally Song | Reuters
BEIJING—China’s Ministry of Commerce said Thursday that the United States is weaponizing export controls and using them as a tool.
“We are very concerned about the direct involvement and interference of the United States in the issue of high-tech exports to China by Dutch companies,” Spokesperson Xu Jueting said at the ministry’s first press conference in 2024, according to CNBC’s Mandarin translation. said. -Comments about language.
“The United States is instrumentalizing and weaponizing the export control issue,” he said, calling on the Dutch side to “respect the spirit of the contract and support companies to trade in compliance.”
She was answering questions about ASML, a Netherlands-based company that makes lithography equipment, which is key to advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
ASML announced in a statement on January 1 that the Dutch government has restricted the export of some lithography products to China.
Last year, the Dutch government announced new restrictions on the export of certain equipment used to make advanced chips. The move follows U.S. export controls aimed at restricting China’s military’s access to high-end semiconductor technology.
In a statement, ASML said that after discussions with the U.S. government, it was determined that the latest U.S. export rules in October target certain lithography tools.
China “firmly opposes” such a move and will take “necessary measures” to protect China’s business interests, Xu said.
Last year, the ministry announced export controls for some metals used in chip manufacturing.
US-China trade talks focus on chips
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao also spoke by phone with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Thursday and expressed concerns about U.S. chip export restrictions, the ministry said.
In a Chinese translation translated by CNBC, the ministry said Wang “expressed grave concerns about the US restrictions on third-party exports of lithography equipment to China, legacy chip supply chain investigations, and sanctions that stifle Chinese companies.” I focused on doing that.”
The U.S. Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of U.S. business hours.
