In August 2023, China imposed export controls on such rare earth metals as gallium and germanium to protect national security. In October, the Chinese Commerce Ministry also announced that starting from December 1, all graphite exports would need official approval. In December, the Chinese authorities introduced export restrictions on a number of technologies related to the mining and processing of rare earth elements.
"You can find the reasons behind these measures in previous statements and announcements released by China's competent authorities. Our measures do not target any particular country or company, which is fundamentally different from the measures deliberately imposed by the US to target particular countries and companies in the name of national security," Mao said.
In October 2022, the US restricted exports of certain advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment and items to Chinese companies. In October 2023, the US expanded existing export restrictions on advanced semiconductors. Beijing has on many occasions accused Washington of abusing control measures to overwhelm Chinese firms.
US-China relations have long been strained by growing restrictions on exports of US goods and services, the persistence of import duties on Chinese goods, the growth of world trade in yuan and the decreased influence of the US dollar across the globe.