BEIJING: The Chinese government will hold a briefing for Japanese and other foreign companies Friday regarding a revised counterespionage law and export restrictions on mineral resources, Jiji Press has learned.

Representatives of business associations of Japan, the United States, South Korea and the European Union that are based in China have been asked to attend the briefing, sources said.

The revised counterespionage law entered into force July 1, sparking concerns among foreign companies operating in China that their employees may be arrested under the law.

Meanwhile, China plans to tighten export controls on some minerals including gallium, a raw material for semiconductors, from August.

The briefing, to be held in Beijing in the afternoon, will cover the two measures and the issue of data protection, the sources said.

Several Japanese people are expected to attend the briefing, including Tetsuro Honma, head of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China and executive vice president of Panasonic Holdings Corp.

At a meeting with Japanese company representatives Monday, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao showed a readiness to hold such a briefing, saying he understands Japanese companies’ concerns about the revised law but that there is a misunderstanding.

The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China plans to ask Beijing to hold a briefing only for Japanese companies, hoping to request a relaxation of visa requirements and convey concerns over Chinese import restrictions on Japanese fishery products.

JIJI Press