Main topic: The Biden administration's proposed regulations to curb U.S. investments in key technology sectors in China due to concerns about enhanced battlefield capabilities.
Key points:
1. The proposed regulations aim to prohibit certain investment transactions between U.S. citizens and companies in China in specific technology sectors.
2. For semiconductors and quantum information technologies, the regulations specify where U.S. investors will no longer be allowed to invest in China.
3. However, for AI systems, there are challenges in distinguishing between military and civilian applications, and the administration seeks to shape a prohibition based on the entities involved in the transaction.
Huawei is allegedly operating secret semiconductor manufacturing facilities in China to evade U.S. sanctions, enabling it to bypass restrictions on chip exports and obtain chip-making technology from U.S. suppliers through intermediaries not subject to export controls.
China's top chipmaker SMIC has partnered with Huawei to develop an advanced 7-nanometer processor for the Mate 60 Pro smartphone, marking progress in China's domestic chip ecosystem and challenging US restrictions on Huawei's access to chipmaking tools.
China has defied US-led export restrictions by producing a 5G smartphone, Huawei's Mate 60 Pro, using an advanced silicon chip made by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), indicating progress in China's efforts to build a domestic chip ecosystem.
China's Huawei Technologies' development of an advanced chip for its latest smartphone demonstrates the country's determination to fight back against U.S. sanctions, but the efforts are costly and may lead to tighter restrictions from Washington, according to analysts.
The US government is seeking more information about the Huawei Mate 60 Pro smartphone, particularly its advanced chip, to determine if American restrictions on semiconductor exports were bypassed.
The Biden administration's export ban is causing China's largest contract chipmaker, SMIC, to face restrictions on export sales, leading to concerns about the acceleration of the US-China tech war.
Members of a bipartisan House committee are calling for legislation to block American investment in Chinese companies, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, to prevent the funding of China's military aggression and human rights abuses.
The U.S. government is investigating how Huawei and SMIC managed to create 7nm Kirin 9000S 5G chipsets in violation of American sanctions, while Foxconn workers assembling the Huawei Mate 60 Pro in China are paid 19.2% more than those assembling the iPhone.
The U.S. Commerce Department is issuing final rules to prevent China and other countries from using semiconductor manufacturing subsidies, in order to protect American national security and clear the way for $39 billion in subsidies for semiconductor production.
The Biden administration has imposed trade restrictions on 11 Chinese and five Russian companies for compromising national security by supplying drone components, leading to a strong backlash from Beijing.
The US government's export restrictions on advanced computer chips is seen as a move to control China's access to AI technology and prevent Middle Eastern countries from becoming conduits for Chinese firms to acquire these chips, with countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Israel being the most likely candidates affected by the restrictions.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo expresses concern over Huawei's reported chip breakthrough and emphasizes the need for additional resources and tools to enforce export-control regulations.
The US is revising a rule that restricts shipments of advanced chips to China, potentially signaling further limitations on chips used for artificial intelligence.
The Biden administration is considering additional measures to prevent Chinese developers from accessing U.S.-made AI semiconductor chips, targeting a loophole that allows purchases from Chinese electronics area Huaqiangbei and also looking to address the issue of Chinese parties accessing U.S. cloud service providers.
