China News Network, March 3 Comprehensive report, the Japanese government said on March 31 that it will restrict the export of 3 kinds of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Some analysts believe that Japan's move is in cooperation with the United States to implement chip export control measures against China.
In this regard, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said that the formation and development of the global chip industry chain supply chain is the result of the joint action of market laws and enterprise choices. Politicizing, instrumentalizing and weaponizing economic, trade, and scientific and technological issues, and artificially undermining the stability of the global production and supply chain, will only harm others and harm themselves.
Japan will restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment
According to Reuters, the Japanese government announced on March 3 that it would restrict the export of 31 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to issue a revised ministerial decree in May and implement it in July.
Image source: Screenshot of a Reuters report
Japan is home to major chip equipment manufacturers such as Nikon and Tokyo Electronics Co., Ltd. Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasuminoru Nishimura did not explicitly point out at a press conference that the move was intended to target China, saying only that Japan "wants to stop using its advanced technology for military purposes" and that "manufacturers who want to export to any region must first obtain an export license."
However, Reuters believes that Japan's measures are in line with the chip export control measures implemented by the United States against China. The Financial Times also said that Japan's move is fulfilling its tripartite agreement with the United States and the Netherlands for Chinese semiconductors.
In October 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a series of regulations on the export of chips to China. The White House was revealed to be also pressuring allies to restrict the sale of semiconductor manufacturing equipment by companies such as ASML in the Netherlands through relevant measures.
In January 2023, the New York Times, citing people familiar with the matter, said that Japan and the Netherlands reached an agreement after a high-level meeting with U.S. national security officials, agreeing to join the United States in banning the export of some equipment to China. However, due to the sensitive nature of the agreement, none of the parties has publicly announced it.
"Politicizing economic, trade, and scientific and technological issues will only harm others and harm ourselves"
China has repeatedly expressed strong opposition to the containment and suppression of individual countries, pointing out that in order to safeguard the selfish interests of its own hegemony, hijacking normal international economic and trade cooperation will eventually become a cocoon.
On March 3, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference in response to Japan's plan to restrict the export of semiconductor manufacturing equipment that the formation and development of the global chip industry chain and supply chain is the result of the joint effect of market laws and enterprise choices. Politicizing, instrumentalizing and weaponizing economic, trade, and scientific and technological issues, and artificially undermining the stability of the global production and supply chain, will only harm others and harm themselves.
Regarding the expansion of US and semiconductor-related export controls to China to Japanese and Dutch enterprises, Mao Ning also said a few days ago that the "long-arm jurisdiction" of the United States is the arbitrary judicial practice of the US government to indiscriminately exercise "extraterritorial jurisdiction" over entities and individuals of other countries in accordance with its own laws backed by comprehensive strength and financial hegemony. In order to maintain its leading position in economy and science and technology, the United States generalizes the concept of national security, abuses export control measures, artificially interferes with normal economic and trade exchanges, and undermines the stability of the global production and supply chain, which runs counter to the principles of market economy and fair competition that the United States has always advertised.
Recently, when meeting with Wen Ningke, global president of ASML in the Netherlands, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao also stressed that China unswervingly promotes high-level opening up and is willing to create a good business environment for multinational companies including ASML to develop in China and provide efficient services. It is hoped that ASML will strengthen its confidence in trade and investment cooperation with China, make positive contributions to Sino-Dutch economic and trade cooperation, and jointly maintain the stability of the global semiconductor industry chain and supply chain. (End)