Popular Chinese online news site Redian recently republished a Bloomberg report indicating that the Netherlands and Japan, home to major suppliers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, are about to join a Biden administration-led effort to limit exports of the technology to China. Export controls in the Netherlands and Japan could be finalized as soon as late January, according to people familiar with the matter. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte discussed their plans with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House earlier this month. “I am very confident that we will get there,” Rutte told Bloomberg in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. However, the Netherlands and Japan’s restrictions may not go as far as the U.S. restrictions do, which not only limit the export of U.S.-made machines but also prevent U.S. citizens from working with Chinese chipmakers. Even so, once all three countries take action, China may find itself even less able to acquire the technology or expertise needed to manufacture the most advanced semiconductors. A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council declined to comment. The U.S. Commerce Department rules are opposed by some U.S. semiconductor companies but supported by bipartisan lawmakers. China said Biden’s new chip tech curbs will hurt its economic recovery.
Source: Redian, January 19, 2023
https://redian.news/wxnews/231251