China has released the most recent catalog of technologies that are restricted or barred from export in late December, removing 34 items from the list and adding four new items, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said. The latest catalog, which was jointly revised and issued by MOFCOM and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST), has brought down the number of technical items from 164 to 134, with 24 prohibited items and 110 restricted ones. 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.
Meanwhile, one newly added prohibited technology involves 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, a MOFCOM 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 well-being, the official added. China has progressively enhanced its grasp of the comprehensive national security framework, said Bai Ming, 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 catalogs to meet the objective requirements of the changing scenarios.
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, MOFCOM said, as reported by the China Daily.
The Global Times adds that the new catalog stipulated that rare-earth extraction technology is banned from export and a number of related techniques require approval before exports. Rare earths are a group of metals used in high-tech industries from iPhones to fighter jets.
