China has imposed new restrictions on drone and related technology exports to the US. The Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Wednesday that the move aims to protect national security and national interests.
The ministry also stressed that it aims to fulfill international obligations, such as preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. With the decision, exports to the US of drones, key components and related technologies listed on the dual-use items export control list will now be subject to strict case-by-case scrutiny.
The move is viewed as a response to recent restrictions imposed by Washington on Chinese telecommunications companies, laboratories, the drone sector and other technology firms. It comes as technological competition between the two countries escalates, particularly in artificial intelligence and robotics, and amid rapid development of low-cost Chinese models.
The US, for its part, imposes restrictions on exports to China of certain advanced electronic chips, including H200 chips used in artificial intelligence applications, as part of commercial and technological competition. As political, economic and technological rivalry between the two countries heats up, Beijing and Washington are increasingly concerned about the threats that the use of AI technologies in drones could pose to national security.