The Chinese embassy in the Netherlands said that China strongly opposes the Dutch government's plans to implement export controls on equipment for manufacturing semiconductors.

"This is an abuse of export control measures and a serious deviation from free trade and international trade rules. China firmly opposes it," the embassy said in a statement on Friday.  

This comes after the Dutch Foreign Ministry said on Friday that starting September 1, new regulations will come into force to implement control measures on exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, in particular for the production of advanced semiconductors that can be used in military technologies.

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The embassy further said that China is the world's largest semiconductor market and an important part of the global semiconductor supply chain, noting that the Netherlands' imposition of arbitrary restrictions under the pretext of "national security" is groundless and lacks any legal or moral basis. 

This will "hurt the good reputation of the Netherlands in supporting free trade," the embassy warned. "We urge the Netherlands to immediately correct its mistakes based on the protection of international trade and economic rules and the general state of bilateral trade and economic cooperation."

As per the Dutch ministerial order, companies such as ASML, the world's exclusive maker of cutting-edge chip equipment, will now be required to apply for a permit to export certain types of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

ASML said it will comply with export regulations as set by the Dutch government, the EU, and the US, hoping that the measures will not have "a material impact" on its financial outlook published for 2023. 

MFA spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday that the US is responsible for spearheading a global campaign aimed at undermining China's growing influence in the global industry, noting that US' actions "overstretch the national security concept and abuses export controls."

"The US, under various pretexts, is attempting to cajole or coerce other countries into joining its technological blockade against China, and is intervening in normal economic and trade exchanges between companies through administrative means. This behavior seriously undermines market rules and the international economic and trade order, and disrupts the stability of the global industrial and supply chain, which is not in the interests of any party," she added, noting that China will continue to monitor the situation and deal accordingly to the safeguard of its rights and interests. 

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