China is hitting back at the US and other countries with a new law that allows it to retaliate against countries that abuse export controls to the detriment of Chinese interests and national security. The new export control law passed by the highest Chinese lawmaking body also allows the country to restrict sensitive exports. The law comes in light of deteriorating ties between China and other countries — mainly the United States — which are putting restrictions on Chinese technology and investments. This includes India, which has banned as many as 224 Chinese apps, and has since been looking into investment proposals from that country with intense scrutiny. The law casts shadow on the partial sale of TikTok to American companies Oracle and Walmart, necessitated by US President Donald Trump's ordering Chinese ByteDance to divest from the company. Since this already-delayed and complicated deal involves the sale of Chinese technology, the country's government can theoretically use this law to block it. What is the China's new export control law? The Export Control Law passed by the National People's Congress's (NPC) Standing Committee is only available in Chinese. According to an English summary by NPC Observer, an independent blog that covers Chinese legislation, the law applies in the exports of military products, nuclear items, and "other items" such as technology and services related to " the safeguard of China's national security". All Chinese entities — domestic and foreign — will be subject to it. The law will come into effect on…
