Japan Seen Joining Ban on Chip-Making Tech Exports to China

Japan is planning to restrict exports of its advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, as the tech war on Beijing continues to ramp up.

Tokyo will reportedly bring in the curbs in the spring, after it amends a foreign exchange law to allow the change, Kyodo News reported on Saturday.

The new regulation, though, will not mention China specifically in a bid to reduce the risk of retaliation by Beijing, the report said, without saying where it obtained the information.

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Japan and the Netherlands have agreed to join the United States in halting shipments of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, produced by the likes of Nikon Corp and ASML Holdings, in a bid to stop China developing and advanced chips that could be used to enhance its military power, sources told Reuters, confirming earlier media reports.

Only Washington, however, has acknowledged the existence of the deal, and has yet to release any details of what equipment will be restricted.

Reuters with additional editing by Sean O’Meara

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Sean O'Meara

Sean O'Meara is an Editor at Asia Financial. He has been a newspaper man for more than 30 years, working at local, regional and national titles in the UK as a writer, sub-editor, page designer and print editor. A football, cricket and rugby fan, he has a particular interest in sports finance.