Japanese Trade Official Suggests Joining US in Tightening Chip Exports to China
- Kyle Chua
- Jan 10, 2023
- 2 min read
The U.S. won't be the only country China has to worry about if it hopes to continue receiving technology shipments from international partners.
According to the South China Morning Post, Japan wants to help U.S. efforts in tightening hi-tech exports to China amid the ongoing semiconductor war between the two largest economies of the world. Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura on Thursday, 5 January suggested implementing a similar chip ban against China.
“In order to address the misuse of critical and emerging technologies by malicious actors and inappropriate transfers of technologies, it is also absolutely imperative for us to reinforce our cooperation in the area of export control,” said Nishimura.
The trade official added that Japan wants to work closely with the U.S. in developing dual-use technologies, covering semiconductors and biotechnology, among others, as China continues to become a military threat. He particularly noted a joint project between IBM and Japan’s government-backed chipmaker Rapidus to manufacture 2-nanometer chips as “symbolic of Japan-U.S. semiconductor cooperation”. He also wants to expand the bi-lateral cooperation of the two countries in the fields of quantum science and artificial intelligence.
U.S. President Joe Biden in October tightened export controls to China, blocking the country from acquiring chip technologies and components and banning U.S. citizens from working for certain Chinese companies. Japan and the Netherlands in December have reportedly agreed in principle to curb the export of chipmaking equipment to China.
“We must not be overly reliant on other countries, especially on only one specific country, for goods and technologies that are indispensable for our industries and our daily lives," said Nishimura, citing supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
China's growing economic and military might is expected to be discussed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as meets with President Biden at the White House on 13 January. He's also expected to bring up Japan's security policy and reconfirm the country's close ties with the U.S. The new security policy describes China as “an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge”.
Japan wants to help U.S. efforts in tightening hi-tech exports to China amid the ongoing semiconductor war between the two largest economies of the world.
The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Yasutoshi Nishimura, suggested implementing a similar chip ban against China "to address the misuse of critical and emerging technologies by malicious actors".
The trade official added that Japan wants to work closely with the U.S. in developing dual-use technologies, covering semiconductors and biotechnology, among others.
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