China says ban on purchase of Micron products 'necessary measure' to ensure security

Beijing: An inspection of US chip giant Micron in China that resulted in Chinese authorities banning critical infrastructure operators from buying the company's products was a necessary measure to ensure both national security and cybersecurity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday.

IBNS • 22 May 2023, 05:05 pm

The Cyberspace Administration of China announced the ban on Sunday after finding that the US-based company posed a national security risk to Beijing.

The regulator said China remains open to foreign companies as long as they abide by the law.

"I would like to stress that the inspection was aimed at preventing problems with ensuring the cybersecurity of products and threats to the security of the country's key information infrastructure, this is a necessary measure to ensure national security," Mao told a briefing.

The Financial Times reported in April that the United States had asked South Korea to restrict semiconductor exports to China after it launched a security probe into Micron.

The spokeswoman called the review a normal regulatory measure and criticized the US for violating trade rules.