China urges WTO to sift US-led chip export curbs

Chinese representatives told a regular WTO meeting this week that Japan, the Netherlands and the United States should report their plans and subsequent measures to the body, which it urged to step up supervision on the matter, broadcaster CCTV said.

On Tuesday, the commerce ministry said Beijing was seriously concerned about Japan’s export curbs on chip-making equipment and called for it to correct its “wrong practice”.

The move of the three nations in alignment to curb chip exports to China “violates the fairness and transparency principles of WTO”, CCTV said.

Last week, without specifying China as the target, Japan had said it would restrict export of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, a move in line with Washington’s curbs announced last October.

That came after the Netherlands said last month that it also planned to limit similar exports, such as those from ASML Holding NVASML.AS, which dominates the market for lithography systems used to create chips’ minute circuitry.

China has accused the U.S. of being a “tech hegemony” and urged the Netherlands not to follow it.

The state broadcaster’s report did not mention WTO’s response to China’s inquiry.