China is highly concerned about Japan's semiconductor export controls and urges it to rectify its actions, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.
Japan is looking to impose export curbs on 23 types of equipment used in making semiconductors, seriously violating the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework and impacting the stability of global supply chains, a spokesperson for the ministry said in a press release.
China will take resolute measures to safeguard its legitimate rights if the Japanese side disrupts semiconductor cooperation, the spokesperson added.
China has filed a lawsuit with the WTO against Japan over the export control measures, the spokesperson said.
China has the world's largest semiconductor market and is also the biggest importer of Japan's semiconductor manufacturing equipment, with the two sides having formed a close industrial relationship for a long time, the spokesperson said.
The measures Japan is planning to take are "acts of deliberate deterrence against China, acts that are coerced by certain countries," the spokesperson said, adding that it will not only harm the legitimate rights of Chinese companies but also incur losses for Japanese firms and destabilize the global supply chains.
The spokesperson called on Tokyo, which is now seeking domestic opinions on its planned export restrictions, to heed rational voices and timely amend its mistakes to protect the interests of both China and Japan.
