China to probe US over chip discrimination

China's Ministry of Commerce on Saturday initiated an anti-discrimination investigation into US measures against China in the integrated circuit sector, one day ahead of a new round of US-China trade talks in Spain.

In recent years, the US has imposed a series of restrictions on China in the field of integrated circuits, including Section 301 investigations and export control measures, the ministry said. Such "protectionist" practices are suspected of discriminating against China and are intended to curb and suppress China's development of high-tech industries such as advanced computing chips and AI, it added.