The top US diplomat in Beijing, Ambassador Nicholas Burns, has defended moves by the United States to limit technology trade with China, arguing that they are common-sense efforts to avoid strengthening a military rival. Speaking in an online talk with the Stimson Center in Washington, Burns emphasised that the US is not seeking to separate the two economies, but it is taking measures to protect national security interests. He cited the curb on exports of semiconductors in October as an example of such measures.
Burns reinforced the message from senior US officials in recent weeks that the Biden administration seeks to "de-risk" but not "decouple" from China. He said that most US businesses want to stay in China but are delaying investments until they can determine whether Beijing's more open outlook after the easing of the country's harsh "Zero Covid" restrictions would last.
The ambassador said that the US has been clear with American businesses in China about regulations limiting trade in certain areas, and that there is no confusion about this. He added that the US investment in the two-way trade relationship with China is increasing, not decreasing, but there are certain areas in advanced technology fields where the US will be putting up restrictive measures that are clearly in the national security interest of the United States.
Burns stressed that the US does not want to strengthen the military and intelligence communities of China, given the fact that the two countries are in a major competition with each other. He said that the US is taking steps to protect its national security interests, and these steps are not aimed at separating the two economies.