China Warns of Retaliation Over US Robot Ban

China has warned it will "resolutely retaliate" and defend its interests if the United States proceeds with a new import ban on Chinese robots and power inverters. The Chinese Commerce Ministry issued the statement on Thursday urging Washington to immediately withdraw the measures which it claims unfairly discriminate against and suppress Chinese businesses.

The escalating trade dispute follows a Tuesday announcement by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC introduced restrictions aimed at protecting America's artificial intelligence infrastructure from perceived national security threats while also seeking to encourage the domestic growth of key technological industries.

In response Beijing accused the FCC of ignoring its repeated concerns. The Commerce Ministry stated that the US is broadly misusing the concept of national security describing the import ban as an act of "market distortion and unilateral bullying". Chinese officials argue that these restrictive measures ultimately ignore the mutual interests of both Chinese and American tech industries.