U.S. chips bill will disrupt global trade: commerce ministry

The Chips and Science Act passed by the U.S. Congress contains provisions that restrict the normal economic, trade and investment activities of relevant companies in China, which will distort the global semiconductor supply chain and disrupt international trade, China's Ministry of Commerce said Friday.

The U.S. legislation is a typical differentiated industry supporting policy with huge sums of subsidies to be provided to the U.S. chip sector, the ministry said in a statement.

The U.S. bill should be implemented in accordance with relevant WTO rules and the principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination, so as to help maintain the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains and avoid fragmentation, according to the statement.

China will continue to follow the progress and implementation of the bill and take strong measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests when necessary, the statement noted.