In his first public remarks after the US targeted China’s chip industry with harsh unilateral export controls, a commerce department official said America hoped to strike a deal with allies on more controls in “the near term”.Speaking at the Center for a new American Security think-tank three weeks after the introduction of the October 7 measures, Alan Estevez, under-secretary of commerce for industry and security, cited talks with the Netherlands and Japan on the imposition of restrictions on the export of chipmaking tools to China.
The Biden administration has been trying to reach a trilateral deal with its allies for well over a year, as part of its strategy to make it much harder for China to develop advanced semiconductors needed for military purposes.
Some were surprised that the US pressed ahead with the October 7 controls before reaching a trilateral deal with Tokyo and The Hague that would complement its broader effort to slow the Chinese chip industry.