China may “never break through” US sanctions on advanced semiconductor production.
This sobering message from one Beijing-based think tank analyst to the Post in a recent interview is a reminder of the huge hurdles that remain on China’s path towards technological self-sufficiency. Yet, recent advances in Chinese chipmaking illustrate the risk involved in Washington’s bet that it can meaningfully slow such progress.
The US sees its lead in semiconductors as a matter of national security. But some say Washington’s efforts are only strengthening China’s resolve and accelerating its efforts to advance its chipmaking. If China succeeds in this area, it could fragment semiconductor supply chains and technological ecosystems.
There is also a question of how effective the sanctions are in the first place.
In a recent report by Canadian research firm TechInsights, Huawei Technologies’ top artificial intelligence (AI) chip, the Ascend 910B, was found to have integrated circuits produced by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest and most advanced chip maker.Huawei denied producing chips with TSMC, and TSMC denied supplying Huawei. But, somehow, TSMC tech found its way into the chipset that is helping Chinese companies grapple with limited access to products from AI-chip-leader Nvidia.
