China raises ‘serious concerns’ over US restrictions on chip-making machines, supply chain investigation
- Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao spoke to US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo by phone on Thursday
- Wang expressed China’s concerns over US sanctions that ‘suppress’ Chinese companies, particularly the restrictions on third-party exports of lithography machines
China raised “serious concerns” over US restrictions on chip-making lithography machines, as well as Washington’s investigation into American semiconductor supply chains, during a phone call between commerce minister Wang Wentao and his US counterpart on Thursday.
But the two countries remain at odds over a range of different issues, including China’s access to advanced technologies, the South China Sea and other security issues.
Wang told US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo during the call that the meeting between Xi and Biden in California at the end of last year had set a “clear direction” for the development of economic and trade relations, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce.
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Wang added that both sides should “play an active role in communication and exchange mechanisms” to “create good conditions for enterprise cooperation”.
Wang focused on expressing “serious concerns” over US sanctions that “suppress” Chinese companies, particularly the restrictions on third-party exports of lithography machines.
China is also concerned with the investigation by the US Department of Commerce into US companies’ procurement of legacy semiconductors, which are not cutting-edge but are still key to industries, Wang said.
During the call, the two sides conducted “in-depth and pragmatic communication on economic and trade issues of mutual concern” and discussed “national security boundary issues in the economic and trade areas”, the Chinese statement added.
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The US Department of Commerce had not released its readout on the phone call.
In December, the US Department of Commerce launched a survey to identify how US companies were sourcing so-called legacy chips.
The chips are involved in the production of most cars, aircraft, home appliances, consumer electronics, factory automation systems, military systems and medical devices.
