China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a phone call with his US counterpart Antony Blinken that the US is infringing on free trade rules by imposing export curbs on China,
In a read-out of the call put out by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he complained, “The US has introduced new regulations on export control to China, restricting investment in China, seriously violating free trade rules, and seriously harming China’s legitimate rights and interests, which must be corrected.”
He added that Washington should examine the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, if it wants to understand Beijing better.
Wang Yi stressed, “China’s domestic and foreign policies are open and transparent, and its strategic intentions are clear. The US should stop its efforts to contain and suppress China, and not create new obstacles to the relationship between the two countries.”
Blinken, for his part, stressed the US wanted to remain in communication with China so they could forge the next stage of the two-nation’s bilateral relations.
A new package of export restrictions targeted at China’s semiconductor industry was introduced earlier this month, which focused on curbing China’s access to US technology.
The restrictions included a ban on the export to China of specific computer chips with applications in artificial intelligence and supercomputers without first obtaining an export license. The new package also includes limits on the sale of chip-manufacturing equipment and technology to Chinese firms and prevents US citizens and entities who want to work with Chinese chip makers from doing so without special permission from the US government.
Washington also added China’s biggest memory chip manufacturer and 30 other entities to a roster of “unverified” companies, indicating that US officials are unable to inspect the companies to certify them for export licenses. That will effectively cut those companies off from receiving any technologies from any US supplier.
China has warned these measures are all unfair, and will backfire, and “hurt the interests of US companies.”
