Beijing is launching two investigations into discriminatory restrictions on its chip industry ahead of talks with Washington

China has launched two investigations targeting the US semiconductor sector, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Saturday. The move came a day before trade talks between the two countries were set to begin in Spain.

Washington has repeatedly accused China of unfair trade practices such as intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer, while Beijing condemns US export controls as politicizing trade and warns they disrupt global supply chains and harm all involved.

Launched on Sunday, the four-day negotiations between senior US and Chinese trade officials mark the fourth round of talks in recent months as the world's two largest economies seek to ease escalating trade tensions.

According to the ministry, an anti-dumping investigation was initiated into certain analog integrated circuit chips imported from the US. The probe will target some commodity interface IC chips and gate driver IC chips, which are commonly produced by US companies such as Texas Instruments and ON Semiconductor, Bloomberg reported on Saturday.

The second investigation, an anti-discrimination probe, focuses on alleged US measures against China's chip sector, the ministry said.

"Certain US measures in the integrated circuit sector amount to discriminatory bans, restrictions, or similar actions targeting China," the statement read.

The announcement came a day after the US Department of Commerce added 32 foreign entities, 23 of which are based in China, to its trade blacklist. Among them are two Chinese companies accused of acquiring American equipment to manufacture chips for SMIC, China's leading semiconductor producer. The blacklisted companies were targeted for their alleged involvement in activities that the US government says undermine fair trade practices and national security interests.

In July, US President Donald Trump allowed California-based tech giant Nvidia to resume sales of a China-specific AI chip that had previously been restricted to limit China's access to advanced computing technology. The lifting of export controls reportedly sparked criticism from Trump administration officials who warned that the move could undermine US leadership in strategic technologies.

(RT.com)