China lodges formal complaint with Netherlands over 'politicization' of trade, tech

ISTANBUL

China on Thursday said it had lodged an “official complaint” with the Netherlands over what Beijing called the “politicization” of trade and technology.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China firmly “opposes the Netherlands resorting to administrative means to restrict and meddle the normal economic and trade exchanges between Chinese and Dutch companies.”

Beijing, she said, “has lodged an official complaint on the issue.”

The Dutch government told the country’s parliament on Wednesday that it panned “new restrictions on exports of semiconductor technology to protect national security.”

While she did not name China in particular, Dutch Trade Minister Liesje Schreinemacher said the decision would be introduced before the summer.

“China is always opposed to politicizing trade and tech issues, for such politicization will disrupt and undermine normal trade and tech cooperation, damage stability of global supply chain and are not in the interest of any country,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said, according to Chinese daily Global Times.

The Netherlands’ decision comes after the US last October imposed sweeping export restrictions on shipments of American chipmaking tools to China.

Chipmakers in the Netherlands and Japan are key suppliers to China.