US Chinese chip manufacturer relations have been a sore point for a while now. This is because, American Officials have banned the largest China’s largest and most important chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) since 2020 to prevent them from accessing advanced chip manufacturing equipment.
At the same time. Americans are also banned from investing in this said manufacturer to further sour the US-Chinese chip manufacturer relationship. However, this is not the only company on the burner, more manufacturers from China will be further put under this blacklist.
According to Officials many chip manufacturers from China. Such SMIC, have connections to the local military, much to SMIC’s dismay.
Wall Street Journal also reports that despite the restrictions, many Chinese companies are still finding loopholes to get their hands on the technologies required to make semiconductors and America wants to put a stop to it once and for all.
Reports also suggest that many US chip experts are against the idea of permanent restrictions because of the negative effects on America’s own chip market
Focusing back on the chips, Officials don’t want the industry-leading 10nm or lower semiconductor technology to be exported. However, many different tools can be used to make such semiconductors and exports can bend this idea by selling tools that can be adjusted according to needs. As a result, Officials want to change the wording to “capable of” to further broaden the spectrum of tools allowed to be sold.
According to American officials, this is pure because of the practices by the Chinese government on mass detention of Muslims in the Xinjiang region, as well as their contribution to Pakistan’s unsafe guarded nuclear activities. Only time will tell about the fate of US Chinese chip manufacturer relations.