China urges Netherlands not to abuse export control measures

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China has urged the Netherlands not to abuse export control measures regarding semiconductor products, a spokesperson with China's Ministry of Commerce said Saturday.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a media question that the Dutch government has announced restrictions on exports of some semiconductor equipment, including lithography machines.

The spokesperson said the two countries communicated frequently and at various levels on the topic. But the Dutch side still included relevant semiconductor equipment in the new restrictions, with which China expressed dissatisfaction.

In recent years, to safeguard its global hegemony, the United States has continuously generalized the concept of national security, abused export control measures, and even sacrificed the interests of its allies, coerced and wooed other countries to suppress and contain China's semiconductors, and artificially promoted industrial decoupling and chain breaking, said the spokesperson.

Such moves seriously damaged the development of the global semiconductor industry, and China firmly opposes this.

The spokesperson said that the Dutch side should proceed from safeguarding international economic and trade rules and the overall situation of Sino-Dutch economic and trade cooperation. They should respect market principles and the spirit of the contract and avoid relevant measures hindering the regular cooperation and development of the semiconductor industry of the two countries.

China urges the Dutch side to earnestly safeguard the common interests of Chinese and Dutch enterprises and both sides, and maintain the stability of the global semiconductor industry chain and supply chain, the spokesperson added.