Chinese semiconductor industry: This Western chip ban alliance stinks
- Reference: 1676547012
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/02/16/chinese_semiconductor_industry_ban/
- Source link:
"CSIA opposes the act of interfering in global trade liberalization, distorting the balance of supply and demand," said the China Semiconductor Industry Association.
The trade org also alleged that the reason the semiconductor industry is prospering today is due to "global market and collaborative innovations" and the restrictions will "cause serious harm" to the industry in China, the global economy, and consumer interest worldwide.
[1]
It called on Beijing and relevant agencies to establish rules for maintaining a "global semiconductor industry ecology."
[2]
[3]
Talks to persuade Japan and the Netherlands to join the US in bans on exporting chip technology to China have been ongoing. Through [4]sanctions , the US has sought to prevent China from developing military technology. The bans are also a protest against China's human rights abuses.
Chinese chipmakers like [5]Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC) and China's largest foundry operator, [6]SMIC , are already feeling the pinch.
[7]China's top chipmaker pivots to domestic sales, struggles to satisfy demand
[8]Japan, Netherlands reportedly join US in China tech export ban
[9]Japan may go easy on China over export bans on chipmaking equipment
[10]ASML says Chinese employee stole data as US sanctions bite
As the US is not the only chip or related equipment maker in the world, it became necessary for the country to get buy-in from other nations.
Japan and the Netherlands are both at the forefront of chip equipment production. The Netherlands' ASML is the leading maker of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, for which it already halted exports to China, and Japan's Canon and Nikon make deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines.
[11]
At the end of January, the three nations [12]reportedly came to an agreement. But details of that agreement were kept secret until an interview with a Japanese politician [13]revealed that the country might be less strict with its rules than the US.
Meanwhile, Beijing has [14]pondered a ban of its own, potentially for photovoltaic silicon wafer technology. ®
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/systems&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Y@5hNmuh1hmdUeLglEqn1wAAAI8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/systems&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y@5hNmuh1hmdUeLglEqn1wAAAI8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/systems&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y@5hNmuh1hmdUeLglEqn1wAAAI8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/07/biden_china_chips/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/08/yangtze_memory_layoff_package_includes/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/14/smic_q4_2021/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/14/smic_q4_2021/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/30/japan_netherlands_chip_ban/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/09/japan_china_semiconductor_sanctions/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/15/asml_china_employee_stole_data/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/systems&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y@5hNmuh1hmdUeLglEqn1wAAAI8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/30/japan_netherlands_chip_ban/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/09/japan_china_semiconductor_sanctions/
[14] http://fms.mofcom.gov.cn/article/tongjiziliao/202212/20221203376696.shtml
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Strange game
Is that not War Games?
Nothing good will come of this IMHO
The problem here is that the main instigator does so with a massive dose of self interest. I'm not a fan of China, but I also dislike dishonest conduct and the US is rather transparently engaging in falsifying competition.
The real reason behind the efforts to impose restrictions on China are simply because the US presently cannot compete. This became very clear during the whole Huawei affair where the company was blackballed mainly because it was years ahead in 5G tech (which also disproved the meme at the time that they stole the IP - from whom, as everyone was behind), and to date it remains the only company whose firmware was formally screened and found to be free of backdoors - evidence rather lacking for all other gear. "Trust us" - not ever, thank you.
I am thus disappointed that especially the Netherlands have sacrificed their neutrality to help damage global competitiveness because it disincentivises companies to innovate - other than in political games..
Re: Nothing good will come of this IMHO
They way I heard it described was as violent white folk rallying to keep the black folk out of their neighbourhood and letting their mates across the river know they must support them if they know what is good for them.
Todays enemy is of course yellow not black and in addition to the red one they previously rallied against.
My immediate thought is how much more attractive an invasion of Taiwan now seems for the Chinese government.
"If we don't have the industry here, we'll invade there - either we get to take over the industry (we win) or it gets destroyed (less capacity, so suddenly they need us - and we also win)"
I suspect other factors will come into play, but I don't find it reassuring personally.
That also means barring China from accessing chips is the right thing to do.
Note that the Dutch and Japanese companies mentioned don't make chips. They make the tools required to make chips, and maintain a constant presence in the fabs to keep them running. If China invades, those tools will no longer be available and all China will have is some useless factories.
I think they may be quite aware of that and they already have clones of these tools, but perhaps not the latest ones.
When something unpleasant hits the fan, nothing would stop them from kidnapping the workers and ensuring they keep the fabs running, as Russia did.
"CSIA opposes the act of interfering in global trade liberalization, distorting the balance of supply and demand," said the China Semiconductor Industry Association.
Well, they should blame Winnie the Pooh. Russia has been using trade liberalization to bolster and modernise its army, so they could attack Ukraine.
We can see the same being done by China, manoeuvring around Taiwan and threatening their independence.
China also expressed approval towards Russian Nazism and you could see many Chinese officials would love to have done the same in Taiwan.
That being said, I think there should be no chips for China for foreseeable future. They should clear up their conmunist party from bloodthirsty imperialists first and then we'll see.
Ideally they should disband conmunist party altogether.
Wake me up before it all goes go.
This can only lead to China restricting exports of essential goods such as lithium batteries and metals for turbine motors.
Tesla is relying on Chinese technology more and more so jaw jaw is certainly better than an escalating war war.
Strange game
The only wining move is not to play