China urges U.S. to end Section 232 tariffs, criticizes export control overreach

China's Commerce Ministry on Thursday called on the United States to immediately halt its Section 232 tariff measures and engage in equal-footed dialogue to address mutual concerns.

Speaking at a press conference, He Yongqian, spokesperson for the Commerce Ministry, criticized the U.S. tariffs on imported automobiles, steel, and aluminum, as well as a Section 232 investigation into imported pharmaceuticals, as "typical acts of unilateralism and protectionism."

The spokesperson emphasized that these measures not only infringe upon the legitimate rights of other countries and undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system, but also harm the development of U.S. industries.

She also responded to a recent notice from the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security, which declared that the use of Huawei's Ascend chips anywhere in the world would violate U.S. export control regulations.

She criticized the move, saying the U.S. is abusing its export control mechanisms for Chinese-made chips, which seriously harms the legitimate interests of Chinese enterprises, threatens the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain, and disrupts market rules and international trade order.

"Such actions are detrimental to long-term, mutually beneficial and sustainable cooperation between businesses on both sides," the spokesperson said. "China urges the U.S. to immediately correct its wrongful practices and will take resolute measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies."