<p>China has passed a new law restricting sensitive exports to protect national security, a move that adds to policy tools it could wield against the US as tensions -- especially in technology -- continue to rise.</p>.<p>The law, which China's top legislature passed on Saturday, comes into effect on December 1 and allows Beijing to "take reciprocal measures" against countries that abuse export controls and pose a threat to national security.</p>.<p>Technical data related to items covered will also be subject to export controls, according to the published text of the law.</p>.<p>Beijing's latest measure gives it more room to hit back in US President Donald Trump's war on Chinese tech firms, with the White House moving against popular platforms and major companies -- including apps TikTok and WeChat, tech giant Huawei and chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.</p>.<p>The new law, "formulated to safeguard national security and interests", adds to China's regulatory toolkit which also involves a restriction catalogue of tech exports and an unreliable entity list.</p>.<p>"Where any country or region abuses export control measures to endanger the national security and interests of the People's Republic of China, (it) may take reciprocal measures," the law states.</p>.<p>It adds that Chinese authorities will formulate and adjust an export control list of items to be published in a "timely manner".</p>.<p>Foreign individuals and groups can also be found liable for violating export control rules.</p>.<p>The economic relationship between Beijing and Washington has been roiled by Trump's unprecedented campaign of tariffs, threats of bans and sanctions on Chinese tech firms.</p>.<p>With Trump facing a tough re-election campaign ahead of polls next month, US officials have described measures against China as national security safeguards -- prompting a backlash from Beijing.</p>.<p>In September, China launched a long-expected "unreliable entities list", widely seen as a weapon to retaliate against the US which has used its own "entity list" to shut Huawei out of the US market.</p>.<p>The month before that, China's commerce ministry stepped up rules on technologies restricted for export, adding "civilian use" to the list.</p>
<p>China has passed a new law restricting sensitive exports to protect national security, a move that adds to policy tools it could wield against the US as tensions -- especially in technology -- continue to rise.</p>.<p>The law, which China's top legislature passed on Saturday, comes into effect on December 1 and allows Beijing to "take reciprocal measures" against countries that abuse export controls and pose a threat to national security.</p>.<p>Technical data related to items covered will also be subject to export controls, according to the published text of the law.</p>.<p>Beijing's latest measure gives it more room to hit back in US President Donald Trump's war on Chinese tech firms, with the White House moving against popular platforms and major companies -- including apps TikTok and WeChat, tech giant Huawei and chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.</p>.<p>The new law, "formulated to safeguard national security and interests", adds to China's regulatory toolkit which also involves a restriction catalogue of tech exports and an unreliable entity list.</p>.<p>"Where any country or region abuses export control measures to endanger the national security and interests of the People's Republic of China, (it) may take reciprocal measures," the law states.</p>.<p>It adds that Chinese authorities will formulate and adjust an export control list of items to be published in a "timely manner".</p>.<p>Foreign individuals and groups can also be found liable for violating export control rules.</p>.<p>The economic relationship between Beijing and Washington has been roiled by Trump's unprecedented campaign of tariffs, threats of bans and sanctions on Chinese tech firms.</p>.<p>With Trump facing a tough re-election campaign ahead of polls next month, US officials have described measures against China as national security safeguards -- prompting a backlash from Beijing.</p>.<p>In September, China launched a long-expected "unreliable entities list", widely seen as a weapon to retaliate against the US which has used its own "entity list" to shut Huawei out of the US market.</p>.<p>The month before that, China's commerce ministry stepped up rules on technologies restricted for export, adding "civilian use" to the list.</p>