China launches its first national security investigation into foreign trade

On August 5th, the Ministry of Commerce issued a notice initiating a national security investigation into foreign trade related to imported printing and copying office equipment. The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce stated on the same day that this investigation is China's first national security investigation into foreign trade.

The spokesperson said that according to Article 41 of the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, in order to maintain the order of foreign trade, the Ministry of Commerce may investigate matters related to national security interests in foreign trade on its own or in conjunction with other relevant departments of the State Council.

The spokesperson explained that the purpose of this investigation is to assess the impact of imported printing and copying office equipment equipped with foreign system software on China's foreign trade and national security interests. The investigation includes but is not limited to: the import situation of the surveyed objects, the impact of imported products, technologies or services on national security interests, domestic demand, the impact of imports on domestic industries, the ability and level of domestic industries to meet national security interests, and the impact of relevant foreign government policies and measures on China's national security interests.

The spokesperson stated that in the next step, the investigating authorities will conduct investigations in accordance with the law, fully protect the rights and interests of all stakeholders, make objective and fair rulings based on the investigation results, and resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of China's domestic industries and national security interests.