The United States described banning the products of major American chip companies, Micron, in China as a “baseless” measure, according to Reuters, quoting a US Commerce Department official.
This came after the Cyberspace Administration of China announced that products manufactured by Micron, the memory chip maker, did not pass its network security audit, and that Micron products pose “serious network security risks” that threaten China’s information infrastructure and affect national security. .
On Sunday, the Chinese government told users of sensitive computer equipment to stop buying Micron products.
“We strongly oppose restrictions that have no basis in fact,” said a US Commerce Department spokesperson, adding that the action “contradicts (China’s) assurances that it is open to its markets and adheres to a transparent regulatory framework.”
The official emphasized that the United States would work with allies to address the “distortion of memory chip markets due to China’s actions.”
At the end of April, the Financial Times reported, citing its sources, that the US authorities had asked South Korea to urge chip manufacturers not to sell them in the Chinese market if Micron’s products were banned there.
Prior to that, in October 2022, the United States blocked 28 Chinese technology companies from accessing semiconductor chips manufactured using American technologies around the world.
The United States, Europe and Japan are working to limit China’s access to advanced chips and other technologies it says could be used in weapons at a time when President Xi Jinping’s government has threatened to attack Taiwan and taken a tougher line on Japan and other neighbors.
Chinese officials have also warned of unspecified consequences, but the statements indicate that they are scrambling to find ways to fight back without harming China’s smartphone makers, other industries, and efforts to build a network of chip suppliers.
China announced a formal review of Micron under stricter Chinese information security laws on April 4, hours after Japan joined Washington in restricting China’s access to chip-making technology on security grounds.
This article was originally published by RT.
