China's export restrictions not targeting Poland, Chinese MFA says
China's new export restrictions on EU entities, including Polish ones, are not targeting any particular country, but are a response to the EU's wrongful actions, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a response to a PAP question.
Last week, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce added 14 entities from the European Union to the list of organisations subject to export controls. The list includes two Polish entities, Wroclaw University of Technology and the technology company Vigo Photonics. This means they are strictly prohibited from procuring dual-use goods from China.
Responding to a PAP question whether China's sanctions could be seen as politicising trade and academic exchange, Lin Jian, the MFA spokesman, said that the move came in response to Brussels putting Chinese firms on a sanctions list.
Beijing's decision is a direct response to Brussels' formal adoption of the 21st package of sanctions against Russia. The sanctions target fourteen companies from China and Hong Kong accused of supplying Moscow with components for the arms industry.
Apart from the Polish entities, the Chinese restrictions have also affected the German defence conglomerate Rheinmetall and the Czech automotive firm Tatra Trucks, the French research centre III-V LAB, as well as companies from Italy, Lithuania and the Netherlands.
In a statement sent to PAP on Friday, Wroclaw University of Technology expressed surprise with it being targeted and said it had no official information on the matter.
Vigo Photonics said in an investor release on Friday that China's decision "will not have critical significance" for the company nor impact on its revenue and profits related to the production and sale of infra-red detectors and modules. The only dual-use product sourced from China, it said, was substrates for the production of semiconductor layers, which are essential for the manufacture of infrared detectors. However, it added, for several years the company has been sourcing these products mainly from suppliers in Japan and Europe, who are able to meet its full demand. (PAP)
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