Japan Imposes Additional Export Controls on Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, Sparks Concerns
Financial circles are abuzz with news of Japan imposing additional export controls on equipment required for advanced semiconductor manufacturing. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that negotiations have been initiated with Japan regarding this matter.
According to a report by the “Asahi Shimbun” on July 22, the Japanese government has decided to implement export controls on 23 categories of semiconductor equipment starting from the 23rd of this month. This move has raised concerns among industry experts and stakeholders.
During a regular press conference held on July 24, a reporter asked the Chinese Foreign Ministry for a response to the aforementioned report. In light of Japan’s decision, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning expressed their concerns regarding Japan’s insistence on implementing export control measures targeting China.
Mao Ning criticized Japan for disregarding China’s concerns and promulgating and implementing export control measures that clearly single out China. He further highlighted how certain countries have been politicizing economic and trade issues in recent years, particularly in the high-tech sector. These countries have frequently abused export control measures and used administrative means to push for “decoupling and breaking chains” in the industry. These practices not only violate the laws of the market economy and free trade principles but also disrupt the regional and global semiconductor industry chain supply chain, ultimately affecting the security and stability of the industry.
China urges Japan to consider the overall situation of China-Japan economic and trade cooperation and prioritize long-term interests. They called upon Japan to abide by international economic and trade rules, refrain from abusing export control measures, and avoid interfering with the normal semiconductor industry cooperation between the two countries. China assured that they will closely monitor the impact of Japan’s regulatory policies and defend their own interests.
The imposition of additional export controls by Japan on semiconductor equipment has raised concerns about the potential disruption to the global semiconductor industry. It remains to be seen how these measures will impact the relationship between China and Japan in the field of high-tech cooperation.
Editor in charge: Guo Yanyan RF12556