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Chris Miller's 'Chip War' Examines Geopolitical Rivalry in Semiconductor Industry

Chris Miller's 'Chip War' Examines Geopolitical Rivalry in Semiconductor Industry

Chris Miller, a historian at Tufts University, has authored "Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology," a book that delves into the semiconductor industry's role as a central point of 21st-century geopolitical competition. Miller's work highlights how control over microchips is now a determinant of economic competitiveness, national security, and global influence. The book argues that while the United States maintains dominance in chip design and software tools, it has largely outsourced fabrication capacity to East Asia, particularly Taiwan's TSMC. Conversely, China remains heavily dependent on foreign technology despite significant investments in domestic production. This configuration has created a global economy vulnerable to technological and strategic disruptions due to fragile chokepoints in the supply chain. Miller also details the U.S. government's use of export controls to impede Chinese tech companies like Huawei, framing these actions as tools of geoeconomic containment.
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SMIC Reports Record Quarter and Price Hikes Amid U.S. Sanctions, Benefiting from Domestic AI Chip Demand

SMIC Reports Record Quarter and Price Hikes Amid U.S. Sanctions, Benefiting from Domestic AI Chip Demand

SMIC Reports Record Quarter and Price Hikes Amid U.S. Sanctions, Benefiting from Domestic AI Chip Demand
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U.S. Government Lab Investigates Security Vulnerabilities in Chinese Lidar Technology

U.S. Government Lab Investigates Security Vulnerabilities in Chinese Lidar Technology

The Idaho National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy facility, is currently investigating potential security vulnerabilities in Chinese LiDAR sensors. This review is being conducted amid growing concerns that widespread adoption of these sensors in U.S. vehicles could pose national security risks, including military or industrial espionage and the potential for data transmission to foreign entities. LiDAR, which stands for light detection and ranging, uses laser pulses to measure distances and create high-resolution maps of a vehicle's surroundings, making it a crucial component for autonomous vehicles. Lawmakers, including Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Congressman John Moolenaar (R-MI), have expressed concerns about 'back doors' in Chinese LiDAR that could transmit sensitive information. While several U.S. automotive companies, including Rivian, General Motors, Ford, Kodiak, Lucid Motors, Nuro, and Uber, are reportedly considering Chinese LiDAR, many claim to be unaware of the ongoing government ...
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Nvidia Receives Chinese Regulatory Approval for Limited H200 Chip Imports Amid AI Demand

Nvidia Receives Chinese Regulatory Approval for Limited H200 Chip Imports Amid AI Demand

Nvidia Receives Chinese Regulatory Approval for Limited H200 Chip Imports Amid AI Demand
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U.S. Prepares to Compel Netherlands to Ban ASML Chip Machine Sales to China

U.S. Prepares to Compel Netherlands to Ban ASML Chip Machine Sales to China

The United States government is reportedly preparing to compel the Netherlands to prohibit ASML, a Dutch company and the world's sole manufacturer of advanced lithography machines, from selling almost any chip-making machines to China. This move, reported by NU.nl, aims to impede China's advancements in artificial intelligence and supercomputers, which the U.S. government believes also curbs the development of the Chinese military. The U.S. is pushing for the Match Act, a bill currently before the U.S. Congress, which would mandate allies to adopt U.S. export policies for sensitive technologies. If enacted, this bill would ban ASML from selling its older DUV machines to China, which are currently permitted, and prevent the company from maintaining previously delivered machines. Failure by the Netherlands to enforce this ban could result in U.S. sanctions.
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SMIC Reports Record Quarter and Wafer Price Hikes Amid U.S. Sanctions, Boosting China's AI Chip Market

SMIC Reports Record Quarter and Wafer Price Hikes Amid U.S. Sanctions, Boosting China's AI Chip Market

SMIC Reports Record Quarter and Wafer Price Hikes Amid U.S. Sanctions, Boosting China's AI Chip Market
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Global AI Regulation Efforts Diverge, Expert Proposes 'Fourth Way'

Global AI Regulation Efforts Diverge, Expert Proposes 'Fourth Way'

The global community is struggling to establish unified regulations for artificial intelligence (AI), with the United States, Europe, and China each pursuing distinct approaches. This divergence in regulatory strategies is creating a complex landscape, making a global consensus difficult to achieve. Urs Gasser, an AI regulation expert from TU Munich, acknowledges the immense risks associated with AI but remains optimistic about finding a path forward. He is actively working on what he terms a 'fourth way' to address these regulatory challenges. The current lack of a cohesive international framework means that different regions are developing their own rules, leading to potential inconsistencies and challenges for AI developers and users operating across borders. The varying approaches reflect different societal values, economic priorities, and geopolitical considerations, further complicating efforts to harmonize AI governance on a global scale.
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U.S. and China Navigate Strategic Rivalry Amidst Economic Interdependence and Technological Competition

U.S. and China Navigate Strategic Rivalry Amidst Economic Interdependence and Technological Competition

The United States and China are engaged in a complex strategic rivalry characterized by economic interdependence, technological competition, and ideological divergence. Despite being each other's largest trading partners, with over $700 billion in annual trade, both nations are pursuing policies to reduce dependency on each other's supply chains, particularly in high-tech sectors. The U.S. has implemented export controls on advanced chips, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, citing national security concerns. China has responded with state-backed investments in domestic innovation, emphasizing self-sufficiency through initiatives like 'Made in China 2025.' This recalibration reflects a cautious effort to mitigate systemic risk without completely unraveling decades of economic integration. The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (USCC) emphasizes the need to balance competition with dialogue to prevent escalation and preserve channels for crisis avoidance. The rivalry extends beyond...
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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Dominates AI Chip Production Amid Surging Demand

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Dominates AI Chip Production Amid Surging Demand

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Dominates AI Chip Production Amid Surging Demand
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China robot makers seek to turn humanoid hype into useful work

China robot makers seek to turn humanoid hype into useful work

By Ju-min Park, Laurie Chen and Eduardo Baptista BEIJING, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Chinese robot makers showed off humanoids sorting parcels, packing mobile phones and helping with household chores at a Beijing conference on Wednesday, seeking to demonstrate a shift from crowd-pleasing displays to broader
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U.S. Military Funding Contributed to Development of Chinese Robot Dogs

U.S. Military Funding Contributed to Development of Chinese Robot Dogs

Chinese company Unitree Robotics, a major producer of humanoid and quadruped robots, has developed its successful robot dogs based on innovations initially funded by the U.S. military. According to a former U.S. defense technology official and three top researchers involved in the original project, breakthroughs in quadruped movement financed by the U.S. DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and other military programs were foundational to Unitree's designs. Unitree's $1,600 Go2 model, launched in 2023, has enabled the company to dominate the global quadruped robot market. One of Unitree's robots has even been featured on Chinese state television, armed and accompanying People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops during an exercise. This development highlights how U.S.-funded research can inadvertently contribute to the technological advancements of geopolitical rivals.
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U.S. Congressional Advisory Panel Urges National Data Strategy to Compete with China

U.S. Congressional Advisory Panel Urges National Data Strategy to Compete with China

A key U.S. congressional advisory body, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), has urged the United States to develop a national data strategy. This recommendation comes as China continues to commercialize its vast data resources, treating data as a core economic asset. The USCC's report, published on Tuesday, highlights that China's approach to data, which includes establishing thousands of data exchanges and implementing pilot programs for data sharing and trading, is akin to its top-down industrial policy that has propelled it to leadership in advanced manufacturing. Beijing designated data as a key factor of production in 2020, integrating it into the country's economic, industrial, and military development strategies. The USCC warns that without a similar national strategy, the U.S. risks ceding global leadership in setting data standards to China, potentially giving Chinese firms a significant advantage in data-centric industries like artificial intelligence and robotics.