The United States is cracking down on semiconductor exports to China due to the suspicion that ``China may develop weapons and decipher encryption using AI and supercomputers.''

On October 7, 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced an interim final rule (IFR) that strengthens export control rules for semiconductor-related goods with China in mind. It is reported that this export restriction is being carried out under the suspicion that ``China is trying to develop weapons and decipher code using supercomputing and AI.'' He criticized the decision as an ``arbitrary and discriminatory move''.

With New Crackdown, Biden Wages Global Campaign on Chinese Technology - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/13/us/politics/biden-china-technology-semiconductors.html

Tech war: China's chip industry group asks US to undo trade restrictions for the sake of 'millions of jobs' | South China Morning Post
https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3195844/tech-war-chinas-chip-industry-group-asks-us-undo-trade-restrictions

The IFR imposed restrictions on the export of advanced semiconductors intended for use in supercomputers or for semiconductor development and production in China. On Oct. 12, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a speech titled 'Small Gardens, Tall Fences,' that 'the basic technology chokepoint must be inside the yard, and the fence must be It must be high, because these competitors must not abuse America's or our allies' technology to undermine America's or our allies' security.'

In addition, 31 semiconductor-related companies, including Changjiang Memory , China's largest memory chip maker, have been added to the BIS ' entity list .' Companies registered on this entity list could be placed on a 'blacklist' that prohibits the purchase of American technology without special approval, including companies such as Huawei and ZTE. .

According to The New York Times, U.S. intelligence agencies say that 'China is using supercomputers and AI to develop stealth and hypersonic weapons, as well as to decipher the U.S. government's encrypted messages.' It is reported.

In fact, China's semiconductor technology has made remarkable progress, and until now, advanced chip production has required equipment provided by Japanese and Dutch companies, but the Chinese semiconductor foundry SMIC is already a major technical hurdle. It is reported that it is clearing and producing products comparable to chips made by TSMC. In October 2021, at the AI, Quantum Computing, and Semiconductor Expert Meeting, the risks posed by China's progress were mentioned (PDF file) .

The New York Times reports that the Biden administration is aiming to limit exports to China, a potential threat, from accessing advanced chips, leaving the US and its allies far behind competitors. claims.

However, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson severely criticized the US move, saying, ``The US move is an abuse of quarantine measures aimed at maintaining its technological hegemony.''

The China Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA) also voiced opposition, saying, ``The US government's move is arbitrary and discriminatory. It doesn't just do damage, but more importantly it creates an atmosphere of uncertainty.'

・Continued

Apple will stop using Chinese chips due to US export restrictions on China, what kind of impact will export restrictions have and what will happen in the future? -GIGAZINE

by Harald Groven