Export control system's upgrade to be expedited

China will accelerate the establishment of a modernized export control system, featuring improvements in laws and regulations, government officials said on Thursday at a forum on export control compliance.

The central government will also strengthen guidance and assistance for enterprises facing rising protectionism and abuse of export control in some countries to better protect their legitimate rights and interests, the officials said.

According to the vice-minister, China is making efforts to release its regulations on export control of dual-use items as soon as possible in order to enhance its legal system on the matter and provide better support to enterprises. Dual-use items are those items that can be used for both civil and military purposes.

In October 2020, China promulgated its national law on export control, which was implemented on December 1 the same year. The first white paper on export control was released at the end of 2021 to give a full picture of the nation's position, system and practices in improving export control governance.

Law-based internationalized and standardized export control compliance is the historical trend, Jiang said, adding that the ministry released the guideline on internal compliance for export control of dual-use items in 2021. The guideline helps enterprises enhance their awareness and improve their ability to follow the law by establishing an internal compliance system.

Officials and experts at the forum criticized the generalization of the concept of national security by some countries and their blatant abuse of export control.

"Some countries are generalizing the concept of national security and abusing export control measures to add multiple enterprises to the so-called entity list and conduct long-arm jurisdiction," said Wang, the vice-minister of commerce.

China has filed cases against some such countries with the World Trade Organization, and the ministry will continue to strengthen guidance to support Chinese enterprises and safeguard their legitimate interests, he added.