Expansion of US export blacklist strongly opposed

China strongly opposes the United States adding 12 more Chinese entities to its export blacklist, officially known as the Entity List, and will lodge solemn representations with the US, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

Ministry spokeswoman Shu Jueting said at an online media briefing that the US move is not in line with the consensus between the leaders of the two countries, is not conducive to the security of global industrial and supply chains, and will harm global economic recovery.

"The US side generalized the concept of national security and abused sanction measures, which severely lacked factual grounds and was not transparent in procedures," she said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Thursday that China reserves the right to take necessary countermeasures, and that will take all the steps needed to defend its companies.

The US Commerce Department added the 12 Chinese entities to the export control list on Wednesday, alleging that they engage in activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interests.

That meant that around 70 Chinese enterprises are now on the list, which blocks US businesses from selling them materials and equipment.

Most of the Chinese enterprises on the list operate in the high-tech sector. The 12 additional ones mainly include quantum computing and semiconductor entities, such as Hangzhou Zhongke Microelectronics, the Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, and Hunan Goke Microelectronics.

Analysts said the restrictions by the US are a reflection of its disregard for international cooperation and a further plunge into unilateralism.

"It is a groundless and unilateral move for the US to sanction these Chinese technology entities, as it disregards facts and acts merely out of its subjective will," said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

"The irresponsible move will jeopardize the global supply chain and harm the establishment of mutual trust between China and the US, while trust is the foundation of economic and trade cooperation," Zhou added.

According to Huo Jianguo, vice-chairman of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, the US move will not only hurt US high-tech enterprises due to loss of important Chinese clients, but will also further disrupt global industrial and supply chains and obstruct progress in technology.

He said he suspects the true aim of the US action is to pressure China for compromises on issues such as helping the US deal with domestic inflation and economic slowdown. However, such a move will be in vain and only cause more trouble for future Sino-US economic and trade negotiations, he added.