The US, Netherlands, and Japan are clamping down on chip component exports to China.
Back in October, the United States government imposed new restrictions on tech exports to China. Specifically, the government opted to slow the export of computer chip components out of concerns that China was using them to construct weapons, military equipment, and other concerning products. In passing these restrictions, the Biden Administration invited other world powers to join them in the restrictions in the interest of international security.
This week, an anonymous individual allegedly familiar with the matter informed the Associated Press that both Japan and the Netherlands have decided to join in the restrictions, slowing their own tech exports to China as well. The deal has not yet been formally announced, though last Friday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby noted that officials from Japan and the Netherlands were visiting the White House to discuss various matters, including the “safety and security of emerging technologies.”
China, for its part, condemned the decision from the United States, claiming that slowing tech exports would cause further disruptions to the global supply chain and exaserbate existing economic problems.
“We hope the relevant countries will do the right thing and work together to uphold the multilateral trade regime and safeguard the stability of the global industrial and supply chains,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said earlier in the month. “This will also serve to protect their own long-term interests.”