China issues 1st white paper on export controls

Document highlights commitment, actions to safeguard world peace and development

China has released its first white paper on export controls to give a full picture of the country's position, system and practices in improving export control governance.

The 9,000-word document, China's Export Controls, was issued on Wednesday by the State Council Information Office.

A statement from the Ministry of Commerce said that the white paper highlighted China's commitment and actions to safeguard world peace and development as well as national security and international security.

The ministry said China will continue to promote law-based export controls in the future, stepping up efforts to improve supporting regulations for the Export Control Law and accelerating the formulation of a unified export control list.

More efforts will be made to carry out multilateral and bilateral exchanges and cooperation on export controls, widely publicize and implement related laws and policies, rigorously protect the legitimate rights and interests of all market players and create the conditions for fostering a business environment based on market principles, governed by law and meeting international standards.

In the next step, China will also work actively to build a coordinated export control compliance system guided by the government and led by business, the ministry added.

Export control is a common international practice in which a country prohibits or restricts the export of specific items, such as nuclear materials, to fulfill its international obligations, such as nonproliferation, while safeguarding its own national security and interests.

The ministry said that international export control efforts now face a number of challenges, mainly related to the abuse of export control measures and unreasonable discriminatory restrictions, attempts by countries to form small cliques and work against true multilateralism.

The white paper also highlighted the need to strengthen international coordination on export controls.

"China holds that all countries should firmly stand by the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international law, safeguard the authority of international treaties and mechanisms that uphold true multilateralism, refresh their security perspectives, and adopt a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable outlook on global security," the ministry said in the statement.

In particular, the ministry said major countries should fulfill their obligations and promote common international security in the field of export controls.

Major countries should not harm the legitimate rights and interests of other nations in the peaceful use of export-controlled items or prevent the peaceful use of scientific and technological achievements and advances to promote development, normal international science and technology exchanges and economic and trade cooperation, and the safe and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains, said the ministry.

"China believes that in export control, the international community should move forward in a fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory direction, uphold solidarity and cooperation, oppose discriminatory approaches, join hands in tackling global issues and create a brighter future for humanity," the ministry said.

In October 2020, China promulgated the Export Control Law with detailed stipulations on export-control lists and measures.

Since the 1990s, China has formulated six regulations on export control, covering areas including biological, chemical, missiles and other military items to fulfill certain international obligations.