China Tech Threat Co-Founder Dr. Roslyn Layton issued the below statement following the U.S. Commerce Department’s export control announcement today:
“The export controls announced today signal a new era of enforcement at the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) under the leadership of Alan Estevez, giving national security the consideration it lacked at BIS. The threats posed by Chinese military-aligned fabs like YMTC are well-documented and have been described in the public record for years. We are pleased the agency has finally taken action.
BIS must build on the momentum today and tackle similar technology-related threats from China before it’s too late. Yet another dangerous Chinese military chipmaker is on the rise: Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT). CXMT is following the same playbook as Huawei and YMTC, using illicit means to gain market share and generate products which put Americans’ security at risk and enable Chinese government intrusion.
For years highly advanced, American-made semiconductor manufacturing equipment has made its way into the hands of adversaries, giving them a leg up on production and military capability. It’s good to see such transactions will now be restricted under U.S. law as Undersecretary Estevez acts as the “chief technology protection officer” as promised. While we applaud today’s action, it is a long-overdue advancement and does not close off the many loopholes which the Chinese government and its affiliates use to access strategic U.S. technology. BIS must remain vigilant against efforts to undermine the controls, as seen with Huawei.”