US limits chip exports to curb China’s advances

New measures seek to limit access by adversaries such as China to critical technologies such as semiconductors and quantum computing, with the aim of protecting U.S. national security.

The United States on Thursday announced tighter new controls on the export of critical technologies such as quantum computing and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, aimed at limiting access by adversaries, especially China.

The U.S. Commerce Department said it is implementing global export restrictions on specific items, including quantum computers and machines used to produce advanced semiconductor devices. However, exceptions will apply to countries that already have similar regulations, such as Japan. “As critical technologies with military applications emerge, it is increasingly necessary to regulate their movement to ensure that these items are not used in ways that compromise U.S. national security or foreign policy interests,” the Commerce Department said in a statement.

In recent years, the US has imposed restrictions on the export of advanced chips to China, including those used for the development of artificial intelligence (AI). In August last year, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to limit US investment in sensitive technologies such as quantum computing in China.

“Aligning our controls on quantum and other advanced technologies makes it much more difficult for our adversaries to develop and use these technologies in ways that threaten our collective security,” said Alan Estevez, under secretary for the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security. The department also noted that several countries with similar stances have already implemented or announced new national controls on exports related to quantum computing and advanced semiconductor manufacturing, and expects more nations to follow suit soon.

There will be a 60-day public consultation period before the new rules come into effect. Other technologies affected by the restrictions include high-performance chips that can be used in supercomputers.

The dispute between the United States and China over control of semiconductor technology and its production has been a point of tension between the two nations. The Netherlands and Japan have already joined the United States in imposing export restrictions on advanced chipmaking equipment, aiming to prevent China from obtaining sensitive materials that could be used in weapons and advanced technologies such as AI.

When asked about the new US measures, China’s Foreign Ministry expressed opposition, saying the US was politicizing and militarizing trade and technology. “The creation of artificial barriers goes against market principles and harms global supply and production chains,” Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the ministry, said at a news conference in Beijing. She added that such actions “do not benefit any party involved.”

Via News Agencies