China urges US to halt proposed expansion of outbound investment curbs

China’s commerce ministry called on Washington Saturday to abandon plans to broaden limits on US investment in China, Business Recorder reported. Beijing said the proposed changes, aimed at sensitive technologies, could disrupt commercial ties and opposed the measure, while reserving the option of unspecified countersteps.

The US Treasury put forward revisions on Thursday that would add biotechnology to covered fields and widen controls involving advanced computing and hypersonic systems. The US programme already limits some investment connected with China in semiconductors, quantum technology and artificial intelligence. Treasury says the restrictions are meant to prevent US funding from advancing strategic dual-use technologies that could pose a national security risk, and are not confined to China.