Chinese Ministry of Commerce Hints at Possible Sanctions… Urges Immediate Rectification of Wrong Actions
(BEIJING = Yonhap News) Correspondent Jeong Seong-jo = China warned that it would hold organizations and individuals legally accountable following the U.S. announcement that the AI chip ‘Ascend’ by Huawei should not be used by any country in the world.
On the 21st, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce released a statement saying, “The U.S. measures are typical unilateral bullying and protectionism, seriously undermining the stability of the global semiconductor industry and supply chain, and depriving other countries of their rights to develop high-tech computing semiconductors and AI industries.” The spokesperson added, “We consider the U.S.’s excessive use of export controls as repression against China.”
The Ministry of Commerce further emphasized that “China highlights that the U.S. measures constitute discriminatory restrictions against Chinese companies,” warning, “Any organization or individual executing or threatening to execute U.S. measures will be subject to allegations of violating China’s ‘Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law’ and will bear corresponding legal responsibility.”
In addition, it urged the U.S. to “immediately correct the wrong actions, comply with international economic and trade rules, and respect other countries’ rights to scientific and technological development,” while also noting, “We are closely monitoring the enforcement situation of U.S. measures and will take firm actions to safeguard legitimate rights and interests.”
Previously, on the 13th (local time), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) officially announced the end of country-specific AI export control policies enacted during the Biden administration, stating, “Using Huawei’s Ascend chip anywhere in the world will be a violation of U.S. export controls.”
The BIS also decided to warn the public of the consequences of the use of U.S. AI chips in the training and reasoning of Chinese AI models, and announced guidelines for how U.S. companies can protect their supply chains in response to China’s strategy to secure advanced U.S. AI chips through third countries.
Following the U.S. Department of Commerce’s announcements, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce has been continuously expressing critical views and opposing them.