The recent hype of Western media outlets on China's export plunge to the United States of gallium and germanium, two critical chip-making minerals, are only meant to impose extra pressure on China, a senior analyst told China Daily on Tuesday.

"China started to impose export restrictions on industrial products and materials containing gallium and germanium from Aug 1, 2023.

- China has approved some companies' export applications for gallium and germanium products that comply with relevant regulations, commerce ministry spokesperson He Yadong said Thursday.

China's commerce ministry and the General Administration of Customs issued a notice on imposing export restrictions on industrial products and materials containing gallium and germanium in July.

China started to impose export restrictions on industrial products and material containing gallium and germanium from August 1, 2023.

The Ministry of Commerce has been receiving license applications from some companies regarding the export of gallium and germanium related items, said Shu Jueting, the ministry's spokeswoman.

China's decision to restrict export of industrial products and materials containing gallium and germanium is not targeted at any specific country and is in line with the international practice of placing more emphasis on protecting strategic mineral resources, officials and experts said on Tuesday.

Gallium and germanium are important raw materials for the semiconductor industry.

US semiconductor wafer maker AXT Inc said on Monday that its Chinese subsidiary Tongmei will immediately proceed to apply for the permits to keep exporting gallium and germanium substrate products from China.

In the first quarter, gallium arsenide and germanium substrates exported from China contributed about $4.3 million in revenue, AXT said on its official website.

Germanium is used in infrared technology, fiber optic cables and solar cells.

China will impose export restrictions on industrial products and materials containing gallium and germanium from August 1 to ensure its national security and interests, said the Ministry of Commerce in a notice on Monday.

According to the relevant provisions of China's Export Control Law, Foreign Trade Law and Customs Law, gallium, which is used in the production of semiconductors and optoelectronic devices, and germanium, an important raw material for the semiconductor industry, as well as their related products, cannot be exported without permission after July.

Export of other industrial materials such as gallium nitride, gallium oxide and zone-refined germanium ingot have also been prohibited.

China will impose export restrictions on industrial products and material containing gallium and germanium from August 1, 2023, said the Ministry of Commerce in a statement.

China's export restrictions on gallium and germanium is just the beginning, and the country has more tools for countermeasures if Washington plans tougher technology restrictions on Beijing, said Wei Jianguo, former vice-minister of commerce.

Wei said in an exclusive interview with China Daily that the decision to restrict the export of industrial products and materials containing gallium and germanium has been made after thoughtful consideration, which will not only cause panic in certain countries, but also exert heavy pain in them.

Ministry says use of gallium, germanium should be regulated to ensure securityThe export controls on gallium and germanium-related products that were implemented in August are legitimate and necessary steps to protect China's national security, an article posted by the Ministry of State Security said on Thursday, in response to the publication of maliciously twisted interpretations of the move on the foreign media.

Gallium and germanium have military and civilian dual-use attributes, it said.

The United States and the European Union have included gallium and germanium in their lists of critical minerals and subjected them to special attention.

Furthermore, the Wassenaar Arrangement, a multilateral export control mechanism led by the US and the EU, has included gallium and germanium in its controlled list.

For many years, the proportion of gallium and germanium produced by China for the global market has significantly exceeded China's share of global reserves.

The export controls on gallium and germanium items implemented in August is a legitimate and necessary step to protect China's national security, an article posted by the Ministry of State Security on Thursday said in response to foreign media.

Items related to gallium and germanium have military and civilian dual-use attributes, it said.

Furthermore, the Wassenaar Arrangement, a multilateral export control mechanism led by the US and EU, includes gallium and germanium in its controlled list.

For many years, the proportion of gallium and germanium produced by China for the global market significantly exceeds China's share of global reserves.