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Semiconductors
TechTech War

Tech war: China’s chip trade group warns of ‘resolute countermeasures’ over Japan’s semiconductor export controls

  • The China Semiconductor Industry Association has called on Tokyo not to ‘abuse export control measures’ that would damage bilateral cooperation
  • Japan is slated to require local companies, such as Tokyo Electron, to apply for licences to ship certain advanced chip-making tools to China starting July

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A workers holding semiconductor chips at a microelectronics enterprise in Hai’an, Jiangsu Province of China. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Xinmei Shen
A state-backed Chinese semiconductor trade group said Japan’s recent move to expand restrictions on exports of advanced chip-making technology would “bring even greater uncertainties” to the global chip industry.

In a statement published in Chinese and English on Friday, the China Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA) said it “opposes the act of interfering with global trade liberalisation” and “distorting the balance of supply and demand”.

“CSIA hopes that the Japanese government adheres to the principles of free trade and does not abuse export control measures to the detriment of the cooperative relationship between the semiconductor industries of China and Japan,” the group wrote.

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China condemns new US law aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing

China condemns new US law aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, another state-backed trade group, released a similar bilingual statement on Friday, calling Japan’s move “discriminatory” towards China’s semiconductor industry. It said Tokyo’s action “obviously violates international rules”.

The statements came after Japan said in March that it would require several Japanese companies, including leading semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker Tokyo Electron, to apply for licences to ship 23 types of cutting-edge chip-making tools.

The expanded rules are set to go into effect in July, subject to public comment.

The US, Japan and the Netherlands reportedly reached an agreement in January to curb the export of certain advanced chip-making equipment to China, a move that would hinder Beijing’s ambitions to shore up domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
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