China urges Japan to lift chip export restrictions

China's commerce minister has urged Japan to end its newly announced curbs on exports of chipmaking equipment, saying it would hurt economic and trade relations between the two countries. In March, Japan announced it would tighten rules on exports of 23 types of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment, joining the United States and the Netherlands in curbing the sale of key technology to China. Semiconductors have emerged as an important front in the tussle between Washington and Beijing over access to key technology.