BEIJING ( WNAM MONITORING) China will continuously optimize licensing procedures and reduce review times in implementing its latest rare earths export controls, and will actively consider facilitation measures to promote legitimate trade effectively, a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said at a press conference on Thursday.
The recent export control measures are a normal effort by the Chinese government to improve China’s export control system in accordance with laws and regulations, and are not targeted at any specific country or region, according to ministry spokesperson He Yongqian.
“All applications for compliant exports intended for civil use will be approved,” she said.
She noted that the controls constitute a legitimate practice designed to prevent the illegal use of rare earths, such as in weapons of mass destruction, thereby safeguarding China’s national security and global common security.
China had notified relevant countries and regions prior to announcing these export control measures and is now in communication with relevant parties on their facilitation, according to the spokesperson.
She said that China expresses strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to a series of restrictive measures taken by the United States, including its recent announcement of a new rule expanding its “entity-list” export restrictions, as well as a measure to impose additional port fees on Chinese ships following a Section 301 investigation. China urges the U.S. to immediately correct its erroneous practices, she added.
She noted that the Section 301 investigation and restrictive measures targeting China’s shipbuilding sector, among other industries, are textbook examples of unilateralist and protectionist practices. These actions will not only undermine the interests of China’s relevant industries, but also drive up domestic inflation in the United States, undermine the competitiveness of U.S. ports, and harm U.S. employment.
Such measures have disrupted global supply chain stability and brought chaos to the international shipping industry, the spokesperson said, stressing that China’s corresponding countermeasures are defensive actions taken out of necessity and aimed at safeguarding a level playing field in the global shipping and shipbuilding markets.
She said that after the Madrid economic and trade talks between China and the United States, the U.S. side, disregarding China’s repeated dissuasion, introduced 20 measures to suppress China in just over 20 days, seriously damaging China’s interests and disrupting the atmosphere of the economic and trade talks.
She pointed out that China is strongly dissatisfied with the series of measures taken by the U.S. side and firmly opposes them. It is hoped that the U.S. side will cherish the achievements of the economic and trade talks and immediately correct its wrong practices. China is willing to properly address each other’s concerns through equal dialogue on the basis of mutual respect with the U.S. side.
