The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Monday blasted the US’ announcement of a so-called Section 301 investigation into the Chinese semiconductor industry, urging the US to stop the wrongdoing and vowing to firmly defend China’s rights and interests.
US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai on Monday announced the initiation of a Section 301 investigation on “China’s acts, policies, and practices related to targeting of the semiconductor industry for dominance,” according to a press release.
In response to the USTR’s announcement, a spokesperson for the MOFCOM said in a statement on Monday night that China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes this, noting that the US’ Section 301 investigations carry obvious unilateral and protectionist tendencies.
The previous Section 301 tariffs have been ruled to violate WTO rules and were opposed by many WTO members, and China has lodged stern representations with the US multiple times, the spokesperson said.
The US has initiated a new Section 301 investigation into China’s chip industry policies, aiming to suppress China and for domestic political reasons. This will disrupt and distort the global semiconductor industry and supply chains and will also harm the interests of American businesses and consumers, the spokesperson said.
