The Biden administration says Beijing has relented and allowed US inspections of Chinese businesses, with a number of companies facing a deadline to co-operate by this week or risk being put on a trade blacklist.
Alan Estevez, the US commerce under-secretary for industry and security, said China had started letting American officials inspect some Chinese companies after Washington recently brought in tough semiconductor export controls.
Estevez said the Chinese commerce ministry — which since the Trump administration has refused to allow US officials to conduct end-use checks to ensure that American technology was not being diverted for unauthorised activity such as the manufacture of weapons — had become more receptive since Washington imposed the controls in October.