Restrictions imposed by the US on the export of certain semiconductors “are not a technological blockade” but serve to protect national security, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan explained on Tuesday, as quoted by AFP.

“To be very clear, these special measures are not a technological blockade. They don’t seek to restrict trade or investment more broadly, and they don’t,” he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

In particular, the U.S. has restricted exports of some highly advanced chips and equipment to make those components to prevent Beijing from acquiring semiconductors that can be used in weapons and high-tech.

Those restrictions “have broad exceptions for commercial chips,” he said. But “our strategic competitors should not be able to use American technology to undermine our national security or the security of our allies and partners.”

In particular, he mentioned chips “crucial” for certain military applications, such as “hypersonic missiles.”

Earlier in the day, Chinese Premier Li Qiang condemned the “discriminatory” trade barriers from the same podium in Davos.

In recent years, trade has been a contentious issue between Beijing on the one hand and the United States and the European Union on the other.