Decoupling from China serves no party's interest: spokesperson

BEIJING - As China is the biggest semiconductor market in the world, it is in no party's interest to push for decoupling from China, sever supply chains and disrupt the market, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday.

Mao made the comment at a regular news briefing in response to the remarks of John Neuffer, president and CEO of the U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association, who said in an interview with Bloomberg recently that China is "our biggest market" and that American semiconductor companies want access to the China market despite U.S. government national security concerns.

Mao said to maintain its hegemony, the United States has for some time been overstretching the concept of national security, abusing export control measures and limiting exports to China.

"It is not only China that the U.S. is trying to contain and bring down, but also a large number of developing countries. The U.S. is taking away their right to scientific and technological progress and development that they deserve and keeping them at the lower end of industrial chains," Mao said.

Such selfish and bullying practices in science and technology are unfair and inconsistent with economic and trade rules. They will destabilize the global industrial and supply chains, hamper global economic development and ultimately backfire on the United States itself, the spokesperson said.

Noting China is committed to high-level opening up, she said China is ready to achieve common development with all other countries by sharing opportunities, and at the same time, will firmly defend its lawful rights and interests.

"Containment and suppression cannot hold back China's development. Instead, it will only strengthen China's resolve and capability to pursue self-reliance and technological innovation," Mao said.