The government will launch, in July at the earliest, tighter regulations on the export to China of manufacturing equipment for cutting-edge semiconductors, which are essential to the development of supercomputers and artificial intelligence.

In October last year, the United States, in competition with China for high-technology supremacy, introduced a de facto semiconductor embargo.

Japan announced in late March this year a draft revision to a ministry ordinance on the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act to strengthen export controls on 23 items of chipmaking equipment, in an effort to work with the U.S. to prevent outflows of technologies to China and their diversion to improving its military arsenal.