China eases curbs on tech exports

China has released the most recent catalog of technologies that are restricted or barred from export on Thursday, removing 34 items from the list and adding four new items, as it pushes ahead with efforts to promote international economic and technological cooperation, said the Ministry of Commerce.

The latest catalog, which was jointly revised and issued by the MOC and the Ministry of Science and Technology, has brought down the number of technical items from 164 to 134, with 24 prohibited items and 110 restricted ones.

Noting the revision is a concrete measure in adapting to the changing landscape of technological development and improving technology trade management, the MOC said in a statement that the step will help maintain national economic security and development interests while creating favorable conditions to deepen international economic and technological cooperation.

As many as six previously prohibited items involved in plant growth regulators have been removed from the catalog this time, along with 28 formerly limited items related to manufacturing technology for medical equipment used in diagnostics, and technology for feature extraction recognition, said an official with its department of trade in services.

Meanwhile, one newly added prohibited technology items pertains to human cell cloning and gene editing techniques. Additionally, the list updated three restricted technologies related to crop hybrid advantage utilization, bulk material handling technology and laser radar systems, the official said.

China has always upheld the belief that openness is the key to promoting reform and development. The country is facilitating the orderly cross-border flow of elements like technology and integrating into the global innovation network in a proactive manner, the official said.

China is committed to fostering open cooperation, improving the business environment and sharing its technological achievements with the world, so as to make positive contributions to global economic growth and human wellbeing, the official said.

Developed countries regularly revise their national lists in this category to align with the evolving landscape of technological innovation. China has progressively enhanced its grasp of the comprehensive national security framework, said Bai Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

With substantial progress in numerous technological areas, Bai said the rationale for continuing to ban or limit certain technologies is diminishing. Prompted by the emergence of new technologies, there is a growing necessity to update the pertinent catalogs to meet the objective requirements of the changing scenario.

The measures aim to promote relevant systems that are more conducive to regulating and expanding the import and export of technology, moving toward the establishment of a more open, convenient and transparent technology trade management system, he said.

The catalog had undergone two major revisions in 2008 and 2020.The recent revision of the Export Control List has benefited from extensive feedback and input from the government departments concerned, industry associations, academic institutions and the general public, the MOC said.

Zhong Nan contributed to this story.