China Condemns US 'Bullying Tactics' Over New Chip Export Restrictions

Key Highlights:

• China slams U.S. AI chip export warnings as "unilateral bullying," vows firm countermeasures to protect tech interests.
• Beijing warns U.S. restrictions on Huawei’s Ascend AI chips threaten global semiconductor supply chain stability.
• China accuses U.S. of abusing export controls to suppress AI development; promises legal action against cooperating entities.

Beijing condemned new US warnings on the use of AI chips made in China, vowing to take action against "bullying" efforts to restrict access to high-tech semiconductors and supply chains. In recent years, Washington has sought to limit exports of cutting-edge chips to China, fearing that they could be used to advance Beijing's military systems and undermine American dominance in AI. Last week, US President Donald Trump's administration lifted some export controls on advanced computing semiconductors, responding to complaints from countries that were being denied access to critical technology required for the development of artificial intelligence. 

Some US lawmakers feared that the restrictions would encourage countries to turn to China for AI chips, accelerating the superpower's development of cutting-edge technology. However, Washington also issued new guidelines warning companies that using Chinese-made high-tech AI semiconductors, specifically Huawei's Ascend chips, would put them at risk of violating US export controls. 

In a statement issued Wednesday, China's commerce ministry described the warnings as "typical unilateral bullying and protectionism, which seriously undermine the stability of the global semiconductor industry chain and supply chain." 

China accused the United States of "abusing export controls to suppress and contain China". "These actions seriously harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and endanger China's development interests," according to the trade ministry. It also stated that "any organisation or individual that enforces or assists in enforcing such measures" may be in violation of Chinese law.

 It also promised to take "firm steps to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests" in response.