China has vowed to “resolutely retaliate” if the United States proceeds with its newly announced import ban on Chinese robots and power inverters, describing the proposed restrictions as discriminatory and an attempt to suppress Chinese companies.
Beijing urged Washington to immediately withdraw the measures and stop what it called its “erroneous actions”, saying they unfairly target Chinese companies and products.
The warning came after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unveiled measures two days earlier aimed at protecting the country’s artificial intelligence buildout from national security threats and reshoring key industries expected to see rapid growth.
In a statement on Thursday, China’s Ministry of Commerce said the FCC had ignored Beijing’s repeated representations and continued to tighten restrictive measures against Chinese products.
“If the United States insists on acting unilaterally, China will resolutely retaliate and firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” the ministry said.
The ministry accused Washington of abusing the concept of national security, describing the proposed restrictions as “market-distorting and unilateral bullying” that disregard the interests of both Chinese and American businesses.