China has attempted to keep South Korea in check on semiconductors ahead of the upcoming Seoul-Washington summit.

The Chinese foreign ministry and state media have issued criticism in response to media reports that the U.S. asked Seoul to encourage its leading chipmakers not to fill the market gap if Beijing bans the U.S.-based Micron Technology from selling chips in the Chinese mainland.

In a Monday briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning accused the U.S. of pursuing its own self-interest through a push for a "decoupling" and severing of supply chains, claiming that it is coercing its allies to join the campaign to contain China.

In reference to South Korea, she called on the government and business community of the country to do the right thing and contribute to efforts to safeguard the multilateral trade system and keep the global industrial and supply chains stable.

The Chinese state-run Global Times newspaper also said on Tuesday that President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to face "strong U.S. coercion" to contain China.

It cited Ma Jihua, founder of Beijing DARUI Management Consulting and a veteran industry analyst, as saying that the U.S. knows any unilateral effect on China’s chip market is minimal, and it therefore wants to push South Korean chipmakers to the forefront of the chip war.

Ma predicted that chips will be an important issue during Yoon's U.S. visit, and there is a possibility that South Korea might make some overtures, such as verbal promises, to show that it aligns with Washington on the issue.

However, the ​analyst argued that if Yoon is a leader who prioritizes national interests, he will not follow the U.S. order to restrict South Korean companies' business in China, as that will bring "tremendous losses" to them.