BEIJING (AP) – China’s government on Friday criticized the Biden administration’s limits on access to US technology for its supercomputer developers and said the sanctions “only strengthen China’s determination “to invent his.
The sanctions announced Thursday are the latest sign that President Joe Biden is adhering to the tough line taken by his predecessor, Donald Trump, toward Chinese technology industries that Washington sees as potential threats.
The move adds to the conflict over the ruling Communist Party’s industrial plans, access to American technology and accusations of computer attacks and theft of business secrets.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian accused Washington of misusing false security warnings to “maliciously suppress” Chinese industry.
“The containment and suppression of the United States cannot stop the pace of China’s scientific and technological progress, but will only strengthen China’s determination and willingness to innovate independently,” Zhao said.
Zhao said Beijing would protect its companies, echoing Chinese warnings following previous US trade sanctions, which often follow no action.
The latest sanctions block access to U.S. technology for researchers and manufacturers, according to the Commerce Department, who build supercomputers used by the Chinese military in weapons development. They can be used to simulate nuclear explosions and the aerodynamics of high-speed or stealth aircraft and missiles.
Biden has said he wants to improve relations with Beijing, but has given no indication that he will withdraw sanctions imposed by Trump on Chinese telecommunications equipment giant Huawei and other companies.
The Communist Party has responded by stating that accelerating efforts to transform China into a self-sufficient “technological power” will be the top economic priority this year.
Chinese supercomputers have set speed records, but use processor chips supplied with the United States and other hardware. They can support the development of weapons by simulating nuclear explosions and the aerodynamics of high-speed or stealth aircraft and missiles.
“The United States has implemented a technical blockade of China in the field of supercomputers for a long time, but Chinese supercomputers still lead the world because of independent innovation,” Zhao said.
US sanctions apply to national supercomputing centers in Jinan, Shenzhen, Wuxi and Zhengzhou cities, Tianjin Phytium Information Technology, Shanghai High-Performance Integrated Circuit Design Center and Sunway Microelectronics .
Meanwhile, U.S. telecommunications regulators are in the process of withdrawing the right of three Chinese phone operators to operate in the United States.
Trump also tried to force Chinese video service owner TikTok to sell his U.S. unit and issued an order banning Americans from investing in securities of companies the Pentagon deemed linked to the Chinese military.