China's Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yongqian Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

The US' move to escalate its crackdown on China's semiconductor industry is a significant violation of international trade rules, a gross interference in free trade, severely damaging the interests of all parties and impeding global technological exchanges and economic and trade cooperation, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Thursday.

The remarks were made in response to a media query regarding reports that the US Department of Commerce sent a letter to TSMC imposing export restrictions on certain sophisticated chips, of 7 nanometer or more advanced designs, destined for the Chinese mainland, that power artificial intelligence accelerators and graphics processing units. 

China has taken note of the situation. The US has long been abusing export control measures, exerting long-arm jurisdiction, and continuously tightening restrictions on China's semiconductor industry, disrupting the global semiconductor market, He Yongqian, spokesperson of the MOFCOM told a regular press conference.

He stated that this action is a significant breach of international trade rules, a gross interference in free trade, and a typical non-market practice.

The semiconductor industry exemplifies the global industrial division of labor and cooperation. The US actions will harm the interests of all parties and obstruct global scientific exchanges and economic and trade cooperation, according to He.

Global Times