China’s commerce minister to hold U.S. talks amid disputes over tariffs and technology

BEIJING — China’s commerce minister will meet with U.S. officials this week amid escalating disputes over tariffs and technology, his ministry said Thursday.

Wang Wentao will meet Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Trade Representative Katherine Tai while in the United States to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum trade ministers’ meetings on Thursday and Friday in Detroit, Michigan.

Announcing Wang’s visit, Commerce Ministry spokesperson Shu Jueting decried APEC member Japan’s decision to join the United States and the Netherlands in banning Chinese access. to advanced computer chip technology.

“It is the abuse of export measures and the derogation from free trade and international economic and trade rules,” Shu said. “It will seriously damage the interests of Chinese and Japanese companies and business cooperation between China and Japan.”

China has long relied on Japanese technology, but now only needs machines available from a single Dutch company, ASML Holding NV, which etch microscopic circuits onto next-generation chips. Without it, efforts by the ruling Communist Party to develop advanced chips for smartphones, artificial intelligence and other applications stall.

In what was seen as retaliation, China’s cybersecurity watchdog announced on Sunday a ban on products from U.S. memory chip maker Micron Technology Inc. in certain computer systems.

China’s Cyberspace Administration said Micron products posed unspecified security risks, but gave no details.

Trade disputes have led to supply disruptions and caused billions of dollars in lost sales, but are seen as necessary by the West to prevent Beijing from accessing technology with military applications.

China has stepped up its threats to invade self-governing Taiwan, increased its military presence in the South China Sea to support its claims to the strategic waterway, and provided diplomatic and economic support to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Despite their political differences, trade between China and the United States topped $690 billion last year, while about 295,000 Chinese students are enrolled in US colleges and universities.