Japan closes loopholes for the supply of chips and quantum technologies in China

Against the background of pressure from the United States, Japan expands the list of goods subject to export control, including advanced chips and equipment for quantum computers. This is done to prevent their use for military purposes and the development of weapons.

As Bloomberg explains with reference to the Ministry of Economy of Japan, advanced chips can be used to increase the computational capabilities of high -precision weapons, and quantum computers can break ciphers. Now companies will need to receive licenses for the export of these goods. Presumably new restrictions will enter into force at the end of May.

It is noted that this step is part of the wider efforts of the United States to close the “gray” methods for bypassing restrictions on the sale of chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, since Washington is growing concern about the possible re -export of NVIDIA semiconductor to China.

Tokyo, for its part, also enhances export control, adding new companies to its black list. The Ministry of Economics included 42 organizations around the world, which will be subject to export supervision regarding dual -use goods. In total, there are already about 110 Chinese companies, research institutes and other organizations on the list. Changes come into force on February 5.

China expressed dissatisfaction with new restrictions. The statement of the Chinese Ministry of Trade says that “measures can violate the stability of supply chains and complicate normal commercial relations between enterprises of the two countries.” Beijing hopes that Japan will not allow a negative impact on economic and trade cooperation.

It is worth saying that against the backdrop of exacerbation of restrictions, China has intensified diplomatic contacts with US allies. In particular, it is reported that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Van and (Wang Yi) unofficially invited the Prime Minister of Japan Sigeru Ishiba to attend the opening ceremony of Asian Winter Games in Harbin in early February. However, diplomatic sources believe that the visit is unlikely, since the Japanese government simultaneously seeks to organize the meeting of ISIB with US President Donald Trump).