China Blasts as ‘Stark Bullying’ US Threats to Restrict Big Chipmaker SMIC

China on “multiple occasions” has protested the Trump administration’s “unreasonable oppression of Chinese enterprises” on false national security grounds, said a Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Monday when asked about reports that DOD is seeking to impose export restrictions on Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), China’s largest chipmaker. The administration “for some time” has been “abusing” its authority “to impose all sorts of restrictive measures on Chinese companies without producing any solid evidence” of wrongdoing, he said. “This is stark bullying. China firmly opposes that.” SMIC has been “fully compliant with all rules and laws” throughout its “long-term strategic partnerships with multiple U.S.-based semiconductor equipment suppliers,” said the company Saturday. SMIC “manufactures semiconductors and provides services solely for civilian and commercial end-users and end-uses,” it said. “We have no relationship with the Chinese military.” Any statements to the contrary are “false accusations,” it said. It’s open to “sincere and transparent” talks with the administration to resolve “potential misunderstandings,” it said. DOD didn’t comment Tuesday.