China slams US regulator’s move to ban labs from electronic testing
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Around 75 per cent of certified devices in the US are tested in recognised labs in China, the US Federal Communications Commission estimates.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PIXABAY
BEIJING – China on May 1 slammed a proposal from a US regulator that would bar its labs from testing electronic devices for use in the US, saying it would undermine bilateral trade relations.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on April 30 to advance the proposal, which, if green-lit, would hit devices ranging from smartphones to cameras.
Around 75 per cent of certified devices in the US are tested in recognised labs in China, the FCC estimates.
China’s Commerce Ministry said on May 1 that the restrictions would “seriously undermine the international economic and trade order”, vowing to hit back if implemented.
“If the US insists on going down the wrong path, China will resolutely take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” it said in a statement.
It accused the FCC of repeatedly introducing restrictive measures towards Chinese products and companies.
“These... undermine the hard-won stability in China-US economic and trade relations, run counter to the consensus reached by the two heads of state,” the statement added.
The proposal, which the FCC says aimed to “prioritise national security”, comes a year after the agency adopted rules to ban test labs “owned or controlled by foreign adversaries”.
The measure bans recognition of test labs and certification bodies in countries that do not have a mutual recognition agreement with the US or other comparable reciprocal trade agreement, the FCC said.
China does not have such a pact with the FCC, according to its website.
If approved, products tested and certified in such labs would be phased out over two years after final rules are implemented. AFP
