TOKYO Japan's government will begin restricting exports of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China in Spring, after it amends a foreign exchange law to allow the change, Kyodo News reported on Saturday (Feb 4).

The new regulation will not mention China specifically in a bid to reduce the risk of retaliation by Beijing, the report said, without saying where it obtained the information.

Japan and the Netherlands have agreed to join the US in halting shipments of semiconductor manufacturing equipment produced by the likes of Nikon Corp and ASML Holdings in a bid to stop from China developing and advanced chips that could be used to enhance its military power, sources told Reuters, confirming earlier media reports.

Only Washington, however, has acknowledged the existence of the deal, and has yet to release any details of what equipment will be restricted.

  - Reuters