Overview
- China’s State Council rules, issued April 7 and April 13, took effect at once and authorize countermeasures against foreign actions such as secondary sanctions that apply one country’s laws abroad.
- Officials opened talks April 15 with solar equipment makers about possibly curbing exports of the most advanced manufacturing gear to the United States.
- Beijing has pushed domestic substitution, requiring since November 5 that state-funded data centers use Chinese AI chips and, since December 30, that chipmakers source at least half of new production tools from local suppliers.
- China tightened leverage over Japan, restricting “heavy” rare earths and related magnets from January 9 and blocking exports of certain dual-use items to 20 Japanese entities on February 24.
- Experts describe a deliberate build-out of lasting economic leverage during the Busan truce, while business groups warn the new powers could unsettle supply chains where China dominates rare earth processing and solar components.