China’s Ministry of Commerce has expressed serious concerns in response to the Japanese government’s announcement of plans to implement export controls on semiconductors and related items, in an answer to a journalist’s inquiry on the governmental department’s website. A ministry spokesperson highlighted that the semiconductor industry’s global nature and decades-long development have created an interconnected ecosystem. Such measures, which stem from an over-generalization of national security concepts, risk disrupting global supply chains and violating principles of free trade, the spokesperson said. The statement added that China’s Ministry of Commerce urges Japan to reconsider these actions, as they are expected to affect trading relations between Chinese and Japanese companies. [China’s Ministry of Commerce, in Chinese]