https://www.scmp.com/rss/519753/feed Get the latest on China’s push for semiconductor innovation, as the nation strives for self-reliance in this critical technology. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ann Cao Ann Cao As China undergoes a sweeping economic transition, its regions are also in the process of embracing change. The powerhouses of yesteryear must adapt or risk falling behind, as traditional industries become less reliable growth drivers and new sectors take prominence. In this series, we explore three representative areas of the country as they attempt to navigate this rapidly changing environment. After a 900km (559-mile) journey at the end of last month’s Chinese New Year holiday, 24-year-old Ma... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347381/kunshan-chinas-foxconn-nerve-centre-old-tech-tries-learn-new-tricks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347381/kunshan-chinas-foxconn-nerve-centre-old-tech-tries-learn-new-tricks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Beijing’s global pharmaceutical push is following a playbook seen in rare earths, semiconductors and electric vehicles, US lawmakers said on Wednesday, as concerns grow over the United States’ reliance on Chinese drug ingredients. “China is cornering the market on our medicines – from the supply of generic drugs that Americans depend on every day, to the cutting-edge biotech pipeline that will determine who leads medicine in the years and decades ahead,” said John Moolenaar, the chair of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347087/fears-grow-over-us-drug-supplys-rising-dependence-chinese-ingredients?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347087/fears-grow-over-us-drug-supplys-rising-dependence-chinese-ingredients?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:33:43 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s push for semiconductor self-sufficiency is shifting from broad aspiration to a precision strike on chokepoint materials, with photoresist – the light-sensitive chemical essential for etching microscopic circuits onto silicon wafers – emerging as a new battlefield. The sector, which provides the key material for lithography, was expected to enter a critical stage of “accelerated breakthroughs and large-scale application” over the coming years, according to Fu Zhiwei, chairman of Xuzhou... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346555/precision-strike-china-targets-us-japan-stranglehold-photoresist-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346555/precision-strike-china-targets-us-japan-stranglehold-photoresist-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Denis Simon Denis Simon With the conclusion of China’s annual parliamentary “two sessions” meetings, emerging policy priorities suggest its relationship with the United States is entering a new technological era. This year’s government work report set an economic growth target of 4.5 to 5 per cent and announced increased fiscal support for science and technology, including a 10 per cent funding rise for research and development and over 16 per cent for basic research. More than routine budget adjustments, these figures... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346402/two-sessions-signals-china-us-tech-contest-entering-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346402/two-sessions-signals-china-us-tech-contest-entering-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Representatives of China’s semiconductor industry are calling for stronger state backing in artificial intelligence chips and critical materials, aiming to fast-track core technology breakthroughs. During last week’s “two sessions” – the annual meetings of China’s top legislature and advisory body – scholars and entrepreneurs in the semiconductor sector urged Beijing to leverage the nation’s advantage in strategic chip raw materials and accelerate the commercial application of AI chips to secure... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345997/chinas-chip-industry-seeks-more-state-support-ai-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345997/chinas-chip-industry-seeks-more-state-support-ai-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo If Caligula were the president of the United States, Taiwan’s leader William Lai Ching-te might still kowtow to him. By now, it seems pretty clear that US President Donald Trump has no real policies to speak of, only caprice and vague ideological preferences. That was how bad emperors acted, and Trump obviously sees himself as some kind of king, unrestrained by anything other than his personal inclinations. It’s not surprising there have been “No Kings” protests across the US. From his lifelong... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344682/taipei-must-break-free-its-abusive-relationship-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344682/taipei-must-break-free-its-abusive-relationship-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng The Shanghai Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, backed by the municipal government, has expanded one of its three funds more than 11-fold to pump more capital into the financial hub’s chip firms as part of China’s broader pursuit of tech self-reliance. The third phase of the fund, also known as Shanghai IC Fund III, recently increased its registered capital by 5.5 billion yuan (US$794 million) to 6 billion yuan, according to business registry database Aiqicha. It added two new equity... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343061/tech-war-shanghai-boosts-chip-fund-11-fold-under-chinas-self-sufficiency-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343061/tech-war-shanghai-boosts-chip-fund-11-fold-under-chinas-self-sufficiency-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:30:12 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Chinese chip designer Shanghai Iluvatar CoreX Semiconductor has unveiled a multi-year graphics processing unit (GPU) architecture road map, aiming to surpass Nvidia’s next-generation Rubin platform within two years, amid the country’s push for semiconductor self-reliance. The company said its Tianshu architecture had outperformed Nvidia’s Hopper platform last year, while a second architecture, Tianxuan, would be built to benchmark against the US firm’s Blackwell platform. A third, Tianji, was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341368/iluvatar-corex-targets-nvidias-rubin-gpu-road-map-amid-china-chip-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341368/iluvatar-corex-targets-nvidias-rubin-gpu-road-map-amid-china-chip-push?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng A joint Chinese-US research team says it has developed a new semiconductor manufacturing method that it says could “open up entirely new avenues” to develop high-performance light-emitting and integrated devices. The process would surpass conventional lithography machines, which are the main way today of making the semiconductors used in most electronics. When a lithography machine etches a chip circuit, the laser strikes the material vertically. If light goes sideways, it causes uncontrolled... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341149/china-us-teams-feat-could-open-entirely-new-avenues-semiconductors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3341149/china-us-teams-feat-could-open-entirely-new-avenues-semiconductors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu China’s drive for chip manufacturing equipment self-sufficiency advanced so rapidly in 2025 that even the country’s planners were caught by surprise, as the ratio of domestically developed semiconductor equipment surged to 35 per cent by the year’s end, up from 25 per cent in 2024. The ratio was higher than Beijing’s target of 30 per cent, set in early 2025 to encourage China’s semiconductor industry to favour local suppliers over US rivals such as Applied Materials, Lam Research and KLA,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3339366/great-chip-leap-chinas-semiconductor-equipment-self-reliance-surges-past-targets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3339366/great-chip-leap-chinas-semiconductor-equipment-self-reliance-surges-past-targets?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 14:00:28 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han In its push to secure supplies of critical minerals, the Donald Trump administration has increasingly looked abroad to reduce vulnerabilities in supply chains that underpin many of the world’s most advanced technologies. From China to the Democratic Republic of Congo to Ukraine, key strands of US foreign policy in recent months have centred on access to these materials – a group of roughly 60 minerals that the US Geological Survey considers vital to national and economic security, including rare... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3337551/will-us-led-pax-silica-shore-minerals-supply-chains-and-counter-chinas-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3337551/will-us-led-pax-silica-shore-minerals-supply-chains-and-counter-chinas-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 22:27:27 +0000 James Chai James Chai US President Donald Trump finally agreed to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s plea that the company be allowed to sell H200s to China, estimated to be a US$10 billion opportunity. Although Trump claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping responded “positively”, early signs indicate that China may want to limit H200s imports to reduce reliance on the US and develop domestic capability. The White House’s artificial intelligence (AI) tsar, David Sacks, said that China is rejecting H200s, and the Financial... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336487/us-export-controls-have-fuelled-chinas-ai-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336487/us-export-controls-have-fuelled-chinas-ai-development?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:32:26 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong US President Donald Trump’s green light for Nvidia to sell H200 artificial intelligence (AI) chips in China signals a calculated shift to export older technology, according to analysts who see the move as aiming to fortify the US market share while dampening China’s urgency for self-reliance. But some predict an ongoing policy tug of war in the US between advocates of this week’s relaxation and those who prefer continued tight restrictions on hi-tech gear shipped to China. Trump said on Monday... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335774/us-china-tech-thaw-trump-clears-nvidia-h200-exports-why-green-light-matters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335774/us-china-tech-thaw-trump-clears-nvidia-h200-exports-why-green-light-matters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China is stepping up its chip self-sufficiency push by combining relatively mature chips with new computing architectures in an effort to approach Nvidia’s performance levels, according to a top industry expert. Logic chips made with a 14-nanometre process, which are generally seen as trailing cutting-edge AI processors, could reach a performance comparable with Nvidia’s 4nm products if they were integrated with high-performance memory and an innovative computing architecture, said Wei Shaojun,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3334938/huawei-style-chip-stacking-seen-path-china-rival-nvidias-gpus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3334938/huawei-style-chip-stacking-seen-path-china-rival-nvidias-gpus?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 13:00:10 +0000 Ningrong Liu Ningrong Liu My recent visit to Mianyang, the second-largest city in Sichuan province, revealed a place little known despite being just a 90-minute drive from Chengdu. Its unique distinction lies in its high concentration of scientists – a legacy of its role as a central hub during the “Third Front Construction” from 1964 to 1978. This was a critical period when China relocated strategic industries inland to build a self-reliant economy against a backdrop of external threats. This era formed the second of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3333115/beyond-us-china-decoupling-self-reliance-now-global-movement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3333115/beyond-us-china-decoupling-self-reliance-now-global-movement?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese tech giant Baidu unveiled two artificial intelligence chips at its annual developer and client event on Thursday, underscoring the company’s ambition to play a pivotal role in the nation’s drive for technological self-sufficiency, alongside Huawei Technologies and other domestic players. Baidu introduced the M100, designed by its chip unit Kunlunxin Technology to significantly enhance inference efficiency in models using the mixture-of-experts technique, and the M300, tailored for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3332596/baidu-unveils-ai-chips-boost-chinas-self-sufficiency-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3332596/baidu-unveils-ai-chips-boost-chinas-self-sufficiency-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 06:05:56 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese officials have agreed to hold talks with their Dutch counterparts regarding the Nexperia crisis, which has thrown the global automotive chip supply chain into uncertainty, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Saturday. In response to remarks made by Netherlands’ Economy Minister Vincent Karremans on Friday – indicating that Nexperia chips made in China could resume shipments in the coming days – Beijing expressed hope that the Dutch side would take concrete actions and agreed... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3332035/nexperia-crisis-beijing-agrees-talks-dutch-officials-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3332035/nexperia-crisis-beijing-agrees-talks-dutch-officials-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 07:44:25 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Amid the apparent absence of a concrete deal being reached with Washington on one of Beijing’s long-standing points of trade contention – export controls on the most advanced semiconductors – analysts say it reflects China’s increasing resolve to become more independent from the US. After a meeting with President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday morning, US President Donald Trump said the two sides “did discuss chips”. “China is going to be talking to Nvidia and others about taking chips …... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330932/after-xi-trump-talks-lack-semiconductor-deal-seen-tech-independence-issue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330932/after-xi-trump-talks-lack-semiconductor-deal-seen-tech-independence-issue?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 13:00:10 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok After a video call last Saturday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng are expected to meet in Malaysia this week to hopefully ease tensions before US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping potentially meet on the sidelines of this year’s Apec summit. The meeting was in doubt when Trump threatened to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on China, despite later relenting that it might not be sustainable. Washington blamed Beijing for the escalation,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329654/can-scott-bessent-see-chinas-trade-counterstrike-clear-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329654/can-scott-bessent-see-chinas-trade-counterstrike-clear-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 08:30:10 +0000 Shaoshan Liu Shaoshan Liu Beijing has expanded export controls on rare earths. The latest move requires foreign buyers to obtain a Chinese export licence and extends controls to foreign-made products that use rare earths or technology from China. Washington shot back with threats of sweeping tariff hikes. Markets shuddered and supply-chain chiefs braced. The stakes are systemic. China wields a chokepoint through its dominance in processing of rare earths and manufacture of magnets; the US wields the world’s most powerful... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329374/us-china-tit-tat-escalation-now-feature-not-bug?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329374/us-china-tit-tat-escalation-now-feature-not-bug?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 09:53:59 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen AMIES Technology, a new Chinese lithography equipment manufacturer that showcased its latest chipmaking products at an industry event in Shenzhen last week, is offering renewed optimism in the nation’s drive to reduce its dependence on Dutch giant ASML. The company presented a wide range of products – including compound-semiconductor lithography machines, laser-annealing systems, advanced inspection tools and solutions for packaging and wafer bonding – at the WeSemiBay Semiconductor Ecosystem... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3329508/meet-amies-chinas-new-hope-breaking-reliance-asmls-chipmaking-machines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3329508/meet-amies-chinas-new-hope-breaking-reliance-asmls-chipmaking-machines?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 02:00:16 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China’s megacities are moving in tandem to draw capital to semiconductor research and development, as Beijing accelerates its chip self-sufficiency drive in the face of tightening US export controls. Major technology hubs including Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hangzhou – and even lesser-known players like Hubei province – have all launched major chip industry investment projects in the past few months, with regions competing to emerge as powerhouses in the strategically vital sector, according to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329415/chinas-secret-weapon-chip-battle-us-intense-city-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329415/chinas-secret-weapon-chip-battle-us-intense-city-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 08:59:29 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said the company’s position in China has dropped from 95 per cent of the advanced chip market to zero, as the US semiconductor giant is not allowed to sell its advanced products to mainland companies under US export restrictions. “Hopefully, we will continue to explain and inform and hold on to hope for a change in policy”, he said at a Citadel Securities event in New York on October 6. A video of the interview was published on Wednesday. “At the moment, we’re... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3329292/nvidia-chief-holds-hope-policy-change-china-market-share-drops-0-95?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3329292/nvidia-chief-holds-hope-policy-change-china-market-share-drops-0-95?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 14:30:09 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow When Alibaba Group Holding’s CEO Eddie Wu Yongming took the stage at the company’s annual Apsara conference in Hangzhou on September 24, few people expected the media-shy executive to deliver anything shocking, especially since he read from prepared statements at last year’s event. Wu, however, immediately outlined a clear road map for Alibaba’s AI development, with a goal towards so-called artificial superintelligence (ASI) – when the firm’s Qwen open-source models and cloud services would... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3328568/chinas-lesson-us-it-takes-more-chips-win-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3328568/chinas-lesson-us-it-takes-more-chips-win-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 04:00:13 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China’s embassy in Mexico issued a sharp rebuke after a US diplomat urged the country to help Washington reduce reliance on Chinese-made semiconductors, calling the remarks coercive and accusing the United States of practising “economic bullying”. In a statement posted on Wednesday on X, the embassy said recent comments by Mark Johnson, the chargé d’affaires at the US embassy in Mexico, “revealed Washington’s true intentions”. Johnson had told the Mexico-US Semiconductor Forum that the United... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3327556/china-slams-trumps-envoy-mexico-over-push-cut-dependence-chinese-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3327556/china-slams-trumps-envoy-mexico-over-push-cut-dependence-chinese-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 17:54:02 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Allowing US companies like Nvidia to compete in China fits the interests of both Beijing and Washington, according to Jensen Huang, the US chipmaker’s founder and CEO, as Chinese players gear up to be Nvidia-free. Washington should allow its technology industry to compete globally – including in China – to “proliferate the technology around the world” and thereby “maximise America’s economic success and geopolitical influence”, he said. China is “nanoseconds behind” the US, “so we’ve got to go... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3327138/china-nanoseconds-behind-us-chips-says-nvidias-jensen-huang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3327138/china-nanoseconds-behind-us-chips-says-nvidias-jensen-huang?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 08:11:20 +0000 Ann Cao,Wency Chen Ann Cao,Wency Chen When Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek unveiled an updated foundational model late in August, investors in Nvidia were stunned. Shares of the US chip giant slid, as market watchers grappled with news that the two-year-old start-up, which has developed models rivalling the world’s best, was shifting towards supporting domestically produced chips. Adding to their concerns, DeepSeek was not alone in its endeavour to empower China’s AI ambitions without relying on US technology. Last... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3327025/home-grown-heroes-how-huawei-and-deepseek-are-helping-china-break-reliance-us-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3327025/home-grown-heroes-how-huawei-and-deepseek-are-helping-china-break-reliance-us-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 02:00:09 +0000 Alice Li,Kandy Wong Alice Li,Kandy Wong From funding Intel to eyeing a potential stake in Lithium Americas, the United States is increasingly wielding the government’s “visible hand” in its once-celebrated free market – a strategy long associated with China. Analysts said Washington’s recent embrace of industrial policy – though limited to certain strategic sectors, such as semiconductors and critical minerals – reflects growing concern over the vulnerability of global supply chains amid rising US-China competition. “I believe the US... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3326869/intel-lithium-trump-borrows-beijings-industrial-playbook-us-china-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3326869/intel-lithium-trump-borrows-beijings-industrial-playbook-us-china-race?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Jinghan (Michael) Zeng Jinghan (Michael) Zeng When US tech giant Nvidia unveiled its B40-series chips for China – stripped-down versions of its more advanced H20 line – many in Washington and Silicon Valley believed they had struck a clever compromise. The United States would retain its technological lead while allowing China to buy “safe” alternatives that preserved its dependence on American suppliers. Nvidia, in turn, could continue to profit from one of its largest markets. The logic was simple: Beijing would accept something rather... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3326186/why-china-said-no-stripped-down-nvidia-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3326186/why-china-said-no-stripped-down-nvidia-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The CEO of Nvidia, which faces tight restrictions on selling its chips to China amid the Sino-US battle over trade and technology, said he was disappointed about the situation. Jensen Huang said he expected to discuss the issue with US President Donald Trump at a state banquet hosted by the British government that they would be attending on Wednesday night. Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company, is restricted from exporting to China its most advanced chips,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3325904/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-says-he-disappointed-chinas-reported-chip-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3325904/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-says-he-disappointed-chinas-reported-chip-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:54:01 +0000 Coco Feng,Wency Chen,Zhou Xin Coco Feng,Wency Chen,Zhou Xin China’s antitrust regulator said on Monday it found Nvidia in violation of the country’s anti-monopoly law and would proceed with further investigation, which could lead to punitive actions against the American chipmaker amid escalating technology rivalry with the US. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said in a one-line statement that Nvidia violated both antitrust laws and the Chinese government’s terms of approval for the company’s acquisition of Israeli interconnect... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3325595/tech-war-china-finds-us-chip-giant-nvidia-violated-anti-monopoly-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3325595/tech-war-china-finds-us-chip-giant-nvidia-violated-anti-monopoly-law?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 08:35:31 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China has released a new action plan to bolster its electronics manufacturing sector that stresses the need for resilient, self-sufficient supply chains, as the country confronts rising US export curbs on advanced chip technology. “The electronics manufacturing industry is a strategic, foundational and leading sector of the national economy, crucial to stabilising industrial growth and safeguarding national economic and political security,” stated the 13-page document issued by the Ministry of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324516/china-moves-boost-electronics-self-sufficiency-us-tightens-chip-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324516/china-moves-boost-electronics-self-sufficiency-us-tightens-chip-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Alibaba Group Holding, ByteDance and other Chinese tech firms remained keen on Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips despite regulators in Beijing strongly discouraging them from such purchases, four people with knowledge of procurement discussions said. They wanted reassurance that their orders of Nvidia’s H20 model, which the US firm in July regained permission to sell in China, were being processed, and were closely monitoring Nvidia’s plans for a more powerful chip, tentatively named the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3324405/chinese-firms-still-want-nvidia-chips-despite-beijing-pressure-not-buy-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3324405/chinese-firms-still-want-nvidia-chips-despite-beijing-pressure-not-buy-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 01:59:41 +0000 Syed Munir Khasru Syed Munir Khasru The revival of techno-nationalism is reshaping strategies across continents. The European Union has embraced technological sovereignty with the EU Chips Act and investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technology. Japan and South Korea are diversifying supply chains and boosting domestic capacity. India is positioning itself as an alternative hub through the Make in India and Digital India initiatives, aimed at reducing reliance on both China and the West. Export controls,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3323778/techno-nationalism-now-critical-battlefront-geopolitics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3323778/techno-nationalism-now-critical-battlefront-geopolitics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nvidia has told some component suppliers to suspend production of its H20 AI chip, designed specifically for the Chinese market, the Information reported on Thursday, citing two people with direct knowledge of the communications. According to the report, Nvidia instructed Arizona-based Amkor Technology to stop production of the H20 chips this week and also notified South Korea’s Samsung Electronics. Amkor handles advanced packaging for the chip, while Samsung supplies high-bandwidth memory chips... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322729/nvidia-halts-h20-ai-chip-production-amid-china-concerns-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322729/nvidia-halts-h20-ai-chip-production-amid-china-concerns-report?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 02:04:46 +0000 Wency Chen,Ann Cao Wency Chen,Ann Cao On his visit to Beijing in July, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang received a rock-star welcome as he announced to Chinese state media that Washington had assured the company that export licences for its H20 chips would soon be granted. Warmly greeted by Chinese entrepreneurs and government officials, Huang – who wore a Tang suit and addressed the audience with his rusty Mandarin at the state-backed China International Supply Chain Expo – earned national fame overnight. Just two weeks after Huang... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322047/nvidias-efforts-please-both-us-and-china-get-harder-h20-becomes-bargaining-chip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322047/nvidias-efforts-please-both-us-and-china-get-harder-h20-becomes-bargaining-chip?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Aug 2025 04:00:20 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong US President Donald Trump’s “unprecedented” deal to allow exports of some advanced chips to China in exchange for a cut of the revenues – and hints that similar deals for other industries are being considered – signals that Washington is moving towards a potentially dangerous “pay to play” foreign trade policy, analysts said. Conflicts of interest loom if the revenue-sharing model takes root, which could make it harder for American investors and exporters to do business in the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321877/trumps-chip-deal-signals-new-pay-play-china-trade-policy-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321877/trumps-chip-deal-signals-new-pay-play-china-trade-policy-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov China’s semiconductor industry investment totalled 455 billion yuan (US$63.3 billion) in the first half of 2025, a decline of 9.8 per cent from a year earlier, according to a report from chip market research firm Cinno. In contrast, investment in semiconductor equipment surged more than 53 per cent from the same period last year, highlighting the country’s efforts to establish a self-sufficient supply chain. Wafer manufacturing accounted for the largest share of semiconductor investment at 51... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3321579/chinas-chip-investment-falls-first-half-2025-while-equipment-funding-surges-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3321579/chinas-chip-investment-falls-first-half-2025-while-equipment-funding-surges-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:00:08 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Huawei Technologies has unveiled a software tool designed to accelerate inference in large artificial intelligence models, an advancement that could help China reduce its reliance on expensive high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips. Unified Cache Manager (UCM) is an algorithm that allocates data according to varying latency requirements across different types of memories – including ultra-fast HBM, standard dynamic random access memory and solid-state drive – thereby enhancing inference efficiency,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3321578/tech-war-huawei-unveils-algorithm-could-cut-chinas-reliance-foreign-memory-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3321578/tech-war-huawei-unveils-algorithm-could-cut-chinas-reliance-foreign-memory-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 09:00:10 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong When US President Donald Trump announced Washington would be imposing a 100 per cent tariff on semiconductor and chip imports last week, it sent shock waves through countries with strong or emergent manufacturing clusters – but some markets responded with relief. Here, we attempt to provide more context for what this tariff could entail and examine its potential impact across different regions. What did Trump say, and how did markets react? Trump broached the subject during Apple CEO Tim Cook’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3321467/some-relief-some-worry-how-did-world-react-trumps-new-chip-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3321467/some-relief-some-worry-how-did-world-react-trumps-new-chip-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen US chip giant Nvidia faces increasing mistrust in China over its H20 chips, after the company secured a licence from Washington to export the tailor-made processors by agreeing to pay 15 per cent of its revenues to the US government. On Sunday, a Chinese state media outlet labelled Nvidia’s H20 chip as unsafe and urged Chinese buyers to boycott the artificial intelligence processors designed for the Chinese market. Despite Nvidia’s repeated denials of “back-door” vulnerabilities, Yuyuan Tantian,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3321411/nvidias-h20-chips-face-growing-chinese-distrust-over-alleged-back-doors-15-revenue-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3321411/nvidias-h20-chips-face-growing-chinese-distrust-over-alleged-back-doors-15-revenue-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 05:00:08 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Rare earths are needed for everything from consumer electronics to electric vehicles, wind turbines and fighter jets – and China controls the supply chain. In the third of a four-part series, we look at how Beijing’s dominance in the critical minerals is matching up to Washington’s lead in artificial intelligence, as well as how they are related. When the US president unveiled his tariffs in April, China knew it had a trump card that had been quietly gaining in value over the decades and that no... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3320951/how-china-used-rare-earths-and-us-playbook-turn-chip-tap-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3320951/how-china-used-rare-earths-and-us-playbook-turn-chip-tap-again?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 22:00:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s cyberspace regulator has summoned Nvidia to explain whether its H20 chips have any “back-door safety” risks, casting a shadow over the US chip giant’s local operations. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the agency responsible for cybersecurity, said in a statement on Thursday that it had summoned and interviewed Nvidia regarding the risks associated with the potential tracking and remote control functions of its H20 chips. The regulator requested that the company provide... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3320240/chinas-cyberspace-regulator-summons-nvidia-explain-h20-chips-alleged-back-door-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3320240/chinas-cyberspace-regulator-summons-nvidia-explain-h20-chips-alleged-back-door-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 05:17:49 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Despite recent concessions and shifts in rhetoric, US President Donald Trump’s new artificial intelligence action plan leaves the core of American policy towards China unchanged – maintaining tight restrictions on key technologies while accelerating deregulation and infrastructure support for his country’s AI giants. Analysts said the administration’s strategy would intensify the US-China tech rivalry, and with Washington unlikely to loosen its grip, China would have little choice but to double... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319470/chinas-quest-ai-self-reliance-undeterred-trumps-new-action-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319470/chinas-quest-ai-self-reliance-undeterred-trumps-new-action-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:00:07 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Thursday to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation, days after the chipmaker said it was resuming sales of its H20 chips to the country. Wang said China’s policies for attracting foreign investment remained unchanged, and its doors would only open wider, according to a statement issued by the ministry on Friday. Highlighting the country’s vast market, Wang encouraged multinational firms, including Nvidia, to continue... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318801/nvidia-ceo-meets-chinas-commerce-minister-discuss-ai-cooperation-foreign-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318801/nvidia-ceo-meets-chinas-commerce-minister-discuss-ai-cooperation-foreign-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:00:24 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng The sales resumption of Nvidia’s H20 processors and Advanced Micro Devices’ (AMD) MI308 chips in China is expected to ease the anxiety of local artificial intelligence companies, according to analysts. Speaking at the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing on Wednesday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said he hoped to introduce more advanced chips to China. The H20, designed to comply with US trade curbs, is less powerful than the H200. Under current US rules, most advanced Nvidia chips,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3318479/nvidia-amd-expected-win-market-share-china-us-eases-export-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3318479/nvidia-amd-expected-win-market-share-china-us-eases-export-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:15 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Wuhan University has become the latest institution to join China’s push for self-reliance in semiconductors by establishing the School of Integrated Circuits, led by a scientist educated at Stanford University. Liu Sheng, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who earned a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Stanford in 1992, has been appointed as the inaugural dean of the new school. At an opening ceremony on Thursday, he said the school’s establishment followed “an in-depth... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3317862/tech-war-stanford-educated-expert-leads-chinas-new-semiconductor-school-ymtc-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3317862/tech-war-stanford-educated-expert-leads-chinas-new-semiconductor-school-ymtc-support?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Coco Feng,Ann Cao Coco Feng,Ann Cao The US said on Thursday it had lifted export controls on certain chip design software to China, according to statements from Cadence Design Systems, Siemens and Synopsys. Three of the world’s largest electronic design automation (EDA) software developers have been informed by the US government that sales of their products to China would no longer require special approval, signalling a further easing of bilateral tensions. San Jose, California-based Cadence said in an email that the US Bureau of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3316742/tech-war-us-lifts-export-control-chip-design-software-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3316742/tech-war-us-lifts-export-control-chip-design-software-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 03:39:24 +0000 Yujie Xue Yujie Xue Chinese automotive chip firm SemiDrive will start supplying its cockpit system-on-a-chip (SoC) to an undisclosed European carmaker late next year, marking its first collaboration on the continent to push for global sales, a senior executive said. The chips would be used in several of the carmaker’s models including sedans and SUVs produced and sold in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, general manager Eugene Wang said. The vehicles were expected to feature its X9 SoC, which integrates... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3314544/semidrive-supply-ev-cockpit-chips-european-carmaker-chinese-firms-go-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3314544/semidrive-supply-ev-cockpit-chips-european-carmaker-chinese-firms-go-global?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jun 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the nation’s premier science institution, has unveiled a chip design system driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that has the potential to significantly accelerate semiconductor development and replace human programmers. Developed by the State Key Laboratory of Processor and the Intelligent Software Research Centre, both under CAS, and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the fully automated integrated circuit design system is called QiMeng,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3313889/chinese-academy-launches-automated-system-speed-chip-design-amid-us-software-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3313889/chinese-academy-launches-automated-system-speed-chip-design-amid-us-software-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:00:07 +0000