https://www.scmp.com/rss/523186/feed The latest news and top stories on ASML. A leading entity in the semiconductor equipment sector, Netherlands-based ASML specialises in developing and manufacturing photolithography machines, including advanced Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) and Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) systems. It primarily serves global semiconductor manufacturers like Intel, Samsung and TSMC. ASML holds a near-monopoly in the lithography market, being the sole global supplier of EUV machines and commanding approximately 90 per cent... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In the latest instalment of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we explore the intensifying US-China legal arms race. For years, global businesses have been struggling to navigate rising trade tensions between the United... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353567/us-china-trade-war-entering-worrying-new-phase-legal-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353567/us-china-trade-war-entering-worrying-new-phase-legal-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 22:00:18 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The Dutch government has objected to a proposed US law that would further restrict semiconductor equipment giant ASML from selling to China and servicing customers in the country. The Dutch company, the global market leader in the lithographic technology used to laser-print tiny circuits onto microchips, has seen its access to the Chinese market severely hampered by US sanctions. Now, as US lawmakers look to further choke the European outfit off from the Chinese market, The Hague has lodged an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353452/netherlands-protests-us-proposal-further-bar-chip-giant-asml-china-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353452/netherlands-protests-us-proposal-further-bar-chip-giant-asml-china-market?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Robin Hu Robin Hu Writing in Foreign Affairs, Tsinghua University’s Da Wei argued that China wants Europe to function as an independent pole in a changing global order, but that Europe lacks “a more independent soul”. He is half right. Europe has the assets for independence. What it lacks is the strategy. Europe and the United States face the same rival but carry different exposures. Since 2018, the US has cut its direct imports from China. Europe’s have grown harder to unwind. What appears to be decoupling is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351632/facing-us-and-chinese-pressure-eu-must-forge-its-own-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351632/facing-us-and-chinese-pressure-eu-must-forge-its-own-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China has cleared the way for a landmark visit by the Dutch trade minister – signalled by Beijing’s quiet removal of long-held sanctions on the official – at a time when their bilateral relations need some attention, according to people familiar with the matter. Beijing has agreed to host Sjoerd Sjoerdsma for a visit and has removed him from the sanction list, a source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. “No date is fixed yet [between Beijing and The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351671/un-sanctioned-china-welcome-dutch-trade-minister-amid-nexperia-asml-discord?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351671/un-sanctioned-china-welcome-dutch-trade-minister-amid-nexperia-asml-discord?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:57:56 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US lawmakers have advanced 20 new export control measures – including the controversial Match Act – to further restrict Chinese access to US technology and bar Chinese chipmakers from gaining access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In the latest salvo in the US-China tech war, the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday passed the measures through the committee stage to be deliberated by the rest of the House, describing the action as the “largest significant export... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351199/tech-war-us-congress-rolls-out-largest-export-control-upgrade-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351199/tech-war-us-congress-rolls-out-largest-export-control-upgrade-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:26 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Dutch chipmaker ASML upgraded its 2026 sales outlook on Wednesday, citing strong demand, even as China’s share of global shipments continued to decline and the firm braced for a potential new round of US export controls targeting China. The company projected net sales for the year to fall between €36 billion (US$42.5 billion) and €40 billion, as it released its first-quarter results, up from its previous forecast of between €34 billion and €39 billion made in January. The semiconductor... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350243/asml-boosts-2026-sales-forecast-despite-shrinking-china-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350243/asml-boosts-2026-sales-forecast-despite-shrinking-china-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 03:29:22 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao The latest bill proposed by US lawmakers to further restrict China’s access to advanced chipmaking equipment marks a fresh escalation in Washington’s efforts to throttle the country’s semiconductor ambitions, as it seeks to bring allies such as the Netherlands and Japan into closer alignment on export controls, analysts said. Introduced last week by Republican Representative Michael Baumgartner, the Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls in Hardware (Match) Act aims to close “critical... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3349413/washington-pushes-allies-match-tougher-china-chip-curbs-under-new-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3349413/washington-pushes-allies-match-tougher-china-chip-curbs-under-new-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:02:26 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham European governments breathed a sigh of relief in October when the US and China sealed a fragile trade truce that paused more sweeping Chinese rare earth restrictions and papered over a Sino-Dutch row over chipmaker Nexperia. Now, however, the European Union is being urged to come up with a battle plan should the ceasefire fail or expire. A spike in superpower tensions could expose the EU to Chinese export controls, potentially pulverising its military support for Ukraine, its own efforts to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348494/europe-urged-learn-fight-itself-case-us-china-truce-collapses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348494/europe-urged-learn-fight-itself-case-us-china-truce-collapses?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan The phone call between the Dutch and Chinese foreign ministers was a first on a series of fronts. For the new Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, the call on March 13 was his first with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi since taking on the job a few weeks earlier. It was also the first between the two holders of the offices since China and the Netherlands became embroiled in a row over the control of Chinese-owned, Netherlands-based chipmaker Nexperia. Nexperia is a major component in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347424/china-and-netherlands-seek-pragmatic-reset-nexperia-row-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347424/china-and-netherlands-seek-pragmatic-reset-nexperia-row-rolls?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:50:29 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng China’s top semiconductor executives have called for a nationwide push to build a domestic alternative to Dutch chip-equipment giant ASML, urging the industry to “abandon illusions and prepare for struggle” amid US sanctions. The current industry was too “small, fragmented and weak”, which was “dispersing numerous public resources”, according to an article co-authored by the co-founder of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and leaders of Empyrean, Yangtze Memory... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345557/top-chip-leaders-urge-national-drive-build-chinas-asml-amid-us-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345557/top-chip-leaders-urge-national-drive-build-chinas-asml-amid-us-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:32:07 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Abraham Newman is an American political scientist and a professor in the School of Foreign Service and Department of Government at Georgetown University. His research focuses on the ways in which economic interdependence and globalisation have transformed international politics. Along with Henry Farrell, he is co-author of the book Underground Empire: How America Weaponised the World Economy, published in 2023. In this interview, he discusses how the concept of weaponised interdependence has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344243/trumps-neo-royalist-world-order-and-weaponised-interdependence-abraham-newman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344243/trumps-neo-royalist-world-order-and-weaponised-interdependence-abraham-newman?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Enterprises across China’s semiconductor industry recorded hefty profit growth last year, according to their unaudited financial results, driven by the country’s artificial intelligence infrastructure buildout and Beijing’s push for tech self-reliance. Graphics processing unit (GPU) designer Cambricon Technologies on Friday reported a net profit of 2.2 billion yuan (US$316 million) in 2025, its first profitable year, on the back of “the continuous rise in computing power demand within the AI... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341834/chinas-semiconductor-firms-post-hefty-2025-profits-amid-ai-boom-tech-self-reliance-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341834/chinas-semiconductor-firms-post-hefty-2025-profits-amid-ai-boom-tech-self-reliance-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 06:00:19 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu The financial head of Dutch chipmaking equipment giant ASML – following a year of double-digit sales growth for the company’s machines – said he expects the firm’s already declining sales to China to fall even further, as trade restrictions prevent shipments of the firm’s most advanced units to Chinese clients and demand for other models is likely to taper off after an earlier rush. China’s share of ASML’s global sales dropped by 8 percentage points in 2025, falling to 33 per cent from the 41... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341632/asml-reports-heated-global-demand-2025-cools-china-outlook-amid-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341632/asml-reports-heated-global-demand-2025-cools-china-outlook-amid-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 04:34:10 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s state-backed lithography champion Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE) has reshuffled its business, divesting a manufacturing arm as it sharpens its focus on research in Beijing’s push for chip self-sufficiency. SMEE – widely seen as China’s best chance of closing the gap with Dutch lithography giant ASML – had transferred 100 per cent of its subsidiary Shanghai Weiyao Industrial to AMIES Technology, according to updates on corporate database Qichacha. The deal was priced at 228.5... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3339071/chinas-top-lithography-bet-shifts-gears-smee-sells-subsidiary-strategic-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3339071/chinas-top-lithography-bet-shifts-gears-smee-sells-subsidiary-strategic-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:00:19 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow When Washington unveiled its “Pax Silica” initiative earlier this month, the absence of countries like India and Vietnam spoke almost as loudly as the presence of Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The message? America’s new vision for the AI supply chain will begin with only its most trusted hands. The Pax Silica Declaration, signed at a summit held in the United States on December 12-13, brought together a carefully chosen group as founding signatories. Alongside the host nation and its East... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337104/pax-silica-americas-new-ai-inner-circle-and-asias-chosen-few?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337104/pax-silica-americas-new-ai-inner-circle-and-asias-chosen-few?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Iris Deng,Ann Cao,Coco Feng Iris Deng,Ann Cao,Coco Feng China’s reported development of its own extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine to make advanced semiconductors for artificial intelligence and high-performance computer systems could provide a “massive” boost to the country in its tech rivalry with the United States, according to analysts. Scientists at a high-security Shenzhen laboratory earlier this year built “what Washington has spent years trying to prevent”: a prototype EUV lithography machine, according to a Reuters report on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3337100/china-eyes-mastery-euv-lithography-bolstering-ai-chip-ambitions-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3337100/china-eyes-mastery-euv-lithography-bolstering-ai-chip-ambitions-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 12:00:13 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Facing an ever-increasing trade deficit with China, Europe has limited options to balance the situation in the short term even though it still holds an edge in key sectors including pharmaceuticals, machinery and components, analysts said. China’s global trade surplus hit an all-time high of US$1.076 trillion in the first 11 months of this year, despite a decline in exports to the United States following US President Donald Trump’s imposition of steep tariffs. A lot of China’s redirected exports... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336897/trade-deficit-mounts-eu-offering-china-what-it-wants-buy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336897/trade-deficit-mounts-eu-offering-china-what-it-wants-buy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 08:00:26 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Emmanuel Macron has warned Beijing that Europe would be forced to retaliate with “strong measures” against Chinese goods – including punitive tariffs modelled after US policy – if a trade imbalance between the two sides remains unaddressed well into 2026. Back in Paris, fresh from a diplomatic visit to China that ended on Friday, the French president told business newspaper Les Echos that China was “effectively killing their own customers” by running unsustainable surpluses while curbing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335620/macrons-trade-ultimatum-china-goes-private-public-fix-surplus-or-face-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335620/macrons-trade-ultimatum-china-goes-private-public-fix-surplus-or-face-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:00:33 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies’ three-year-old patent for advanced patterning comparable with 2-nanometre grade technology without extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tools has intensified speculation about a potential breakthrough in advanced chips. The US-sanctioned company is working to patent a metal integration technique for manufacturing semiconductors, which allows narrow metal structures to be integrated using deep ultraviolet (DUV) technology even for “metal pitches below 21nm”, a feature... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3335135/huaweis-2022-patent-details-novel-technique-make-2-nm-class-chips-without-euv-tool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3335135/huaweis-2022-patent-details-novel-technique-make-2-nm-class-chips-without-euv-tool?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 04:00:15 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok The Netherlands has discovered that it could end up hemmed in by its technological prowess. A day after the United States tightened export controls on Chinese companies on September 29, the Dutch government moved to take control of Nexperia, a Chinese-controlled chipmaking firm. This coordinated act of carrying out US containment policy triggered a cascade that exposed the cost of the Netherlands being indispensable but not impartial. It likely prompted China’s decision to use rare earth... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333953/netherlands-nexperia-blunder-shows-it-has-forgotten-its-own-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333953/netherlands-nexperia-blunder-shows-it-has-forgotten-its-own-history?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists and engineers are shrinking one of the most complex and expensive technologies in modern chipmaking down to desktop size and using it to manufacture 14-nanometre chips. While 14nm chips no longer represent the cutting edge – commercial foundries have already pushed into the 3nm realm – they remain a sweet spot for performance, cost and efficiency, powering everything from industrial automation to electric vehicles and smart wearables. At the UltrafastX academic conference in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3333641/china-uses-groundbreaking-desktop-sized-euv-light-source-make-14-nm-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3333641/china-uses-groundbreaking-desktop-sized-euv-light-source-make-14-nm-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:00:15 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu This month, the Post’s Xiaofei Xu sat down with Deng Li, China’s ambassador to France and Monaco, for an in-depth and wide-ranging interview. In part two, Deng discusses Beijing’s economic relationship with France and the EU. Part one can be found here. As Europe adapts to the changing nature of the global economy and the fast pace of technological innovation, China is ready to help the continent as it determines its role in emerging industries, Beijing’s top diplomat in Paris told the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330699/progress-cannot-be-stopped-chinas-ambassador-france-talks-trade-ev-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3330699/progress-cannot-be-stopped-chinas-ambassador-france-talks-trade-ev-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 06:00:09 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words As the global Muslim population grows to 2 billion – around 25 per cent of the world’s population – Hong Kong is well-positioned to attract this burgeoning tourism market. The city was recently recognised as “Most Promising Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year”. The essence of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3330474/halal-seafood-districts-and-other-ideas-boosting-hong-kong-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3330474/halal-seafood-districts-and-other-ideas-boosting-hong-kong-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 03:30:09 +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 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Earlier this week, the European Union disclosed plans that it could force Chinese firms to hand over technology and intellectual property to European companies if they want to operate locally. That is ironic as it seems only yesterday that Westerners were accusing China of forced tech transfer and violating intellectual property rights. The latest push by Brussels could apply to mainland companies seeking access to key digital, green tech and manufacturing markets such as electric cars, wind... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3329382/europe-can-only-play-so-much-tech-hardball-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3329382/europe-can-only-play-so-much-tech-hardball-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 23:15:13 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A bipartisan group of American lawmakers is pushing for a “dramatic” expansion of export controls on chip manufacturing equipment to China and alignment from US allies in restrictions, according to a report released on Tuesday. Their efforts come amid concern that US President Donald Trump is compromising national security in pursuit of a trade deal with China, as advocates of tougher technology restrictions fear being sidelined by the growing influence of the tech industry. “If we are serious... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328168/us-lawmakers-push-expanded-chip-export-curbs-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328168/us-lawmakers-push-expanded-chip-export-curbs-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 21:58:55 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China is set to deliver its first domestically developed e-beam lithography tool for commercial use, advancing its chipmaking capabilities and taking a step forward in the race for technological advancement. Lithography systems – among the most sophisticated machines ever created – are crucial for the mass production of chips, though China remains in the very early stages of developing such tools domestically. Named Xizhi after the famed ancient Chinese calligrapher Wang Xizhi, the new machine... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321887/china-debuts-first-e-beam-lithography-machine-commercial-use-chipmaking-milestone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321887/china-debuts-first-e-beam-lithography-machine-commercial-use-chipmaking-milestone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:00:15 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao European chip equipment giant ASML has launched a project designed to discover and foster key engineering talent in China, in the latest show of its commitment to the market despite intensified US restrictions on advanced chipmaking technologies. The Dutch lithography system maker has launched a science competition aimed at deepening public understanding of lithography – the critical process of etching circuit patterns onto silicon wafers – and fostering new tech talent in the country, according... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3315938/asml-launches-science-project-china-discover-new-talent-lithography?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3315938/asml-launches-science-project-china-discover-new-talent-lithography?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:00:08 +0000