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US Unveils Fresh Restrictions to Hinder China’s Access to Chip Technology


U.S. officials have stated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to utilize this technology for military modernization, the creation of weapons of mass destruction, and social control.

On December 2, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) implemented various restrictions designed to prevent the Chinese communist regime from obtaining advanced semiconductor technology and enhancing its military capabilities.

Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, asserted in a statement that the newly established regulations are intended “to impair” China’s capacity to develop technologies that pose a threat to U.S. security.

The BIS has introduced restrictions on 24 categories of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, three types of software, and high-bandwidth memory chips. Additionally, 140 new entities involved in Chinese semiconductor manufacturing and investment linked to the regime’s military modernization initiatives have been sanctioned. The bureau has also provided new compliance guidelines for domestic businesses, recommending they refrain from selling to companies or exporters of technology when the final user is not clearly identifiable.

The regulations are effective immediately, with a compliance deadline set for December 31.

This recent set of rules builds on several updates that BIS has enacted over the past few years to tighten export controls aimed at prohibiting the Chinese military from accessing advanced semiconductor technologies. Some adjustments have emerged as the U.S. government recognized that previous regulations and sanctions were occasionally inadequate due to the rapid pace of technological advancements.

Officials have indicated that this latest rules package is a proactive measure, expanding the scope of regulations and imposing restrictions on a broad spectrum of technologies.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan emphasized in a statement, “As technology advances, and our adversaries look for innovative methods to bypass restrictions, we will continue collaborating with our allies and partners to proactively and vigorously protect our leading-edge technologies and expertise to prevent their use in undermining our national security.”

Both the Trump and Biden administrations have expressed concerns regarding the national security threat posed by the advancement of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) military through this competitive technology.

BIS reports that the CCP has mandated domestic firms to “allocate significant resources to realize a whole-of-society approach” in developing a robust semiconductor industry in China, which it pursues “to the detriment of the national security of the United States and its allies.”

U.S. officials have noted that the CCP’s objectives with this technology encompass military modernization, the creation of weapons of mass destruction, and social control, resulting in widespread human rights violations, including extraterritorial repression.

BIS remarked, “The rules implemented today hinder the PRC’s capability to achieve these goals,” utilizing the acronym for the People’s Republic of China, the official designation for the nation under CCP governance.

One major concern involves the large-scale artificial intelligence models, which have exhibited “remarkable performance enhancements.” Officials warn that these models could be exploited to develop cyber, chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons, with the CCP having a history of using such technologies for societal control and repression.

In tandem with restricting the CCP’s access to chip technology, the United States has also been working to rejuvenate domestic production of advanced semiconductors and related manufacturing equipment via the CHIPS and Science Act. In recent weeks, the Biden administration has confirmed several substantial grants aimed at establishing chip hubs across the nation.



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