TOKYO, Japan: Japan is preparing to revise legislation to allow it to restrict the export of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China.

Officials said Japan will amend a foreign exchange law to allow the change, Kyodo News reported this week.

However, to prevent retaliation, the new regulations will not specifically mention China.

Along with Japan, the Netherlands have cooperated with the United States in preventing the exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment produced by Nikon Corp and ASML Holdings, to stop China from manufacturing advanced chips for use by its military, officials told Reuters.

Both the Netherlands and Japan have yet to release details of what equipment will be restricted.

Meanwhile, John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, has told the media that talks between the US, Netherlands and Japan would focus on areas "important to all three of us. certainly the safety and security of emerging technologies is going to be on that agenda."