legacy chips

New CTT Paper: Three Solutions for Confronting the Looming Chinese Legacy Chip Monopoly

Posted on by China Tech Threat
Yesterday China Tech Threat released a new paper detailing the dangers a looming Chinese legacy chip monopoly poses to U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.  In essence, With the U.S. government exclusively targeting China’s advanced chip manufacturing sector, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) – led by SMIC, its national champion working with the Chinese military – is exploiting the U.S. government’s tunnel vision and spending billions to dominate legacy chip manufacturing. CTT also wrote a brief summary  yesterday of three major dangers: The U.S. would potentially be dependent on China for chips essential to various military technologies and critical infrastructure. The world would be re-exposed to supply chain vulnerabilities associated with China-based chip production. The Chinese Communist Party would… Read More

New CTT Paper: Three Dangers of Looming Chinese Legacy Chip Monopoly

Posted on by China Tech Threat
Today China Tech Threat unveiled a new resource – EveryChipMatters.com – which includes both a quick :30 explainer video for busy people and a 16-page research report for policy experts. When it comes to semiconductors, the U.S. government has focused almost exclusively on restricting China’s ability to produce advanced chips, while ignoring legacy chips. Recognizing the American retreat, SMIC, China’s top manufacturer, is spending billions to conquer the legacy chip market, and is likely benefitting from Chinese government subsidies. The national security and economic consequences of a Chinese-dominated legacy chip space would be profound: The U.S. would potentially be dependent on China for chips essential to various military technologies and critical infrastructure.Former U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien has sounded… Read More

Advanced! Advanced! Advanced! What About Legacy Chips?

Posted on by China Tech Threat
If you watch what comes out of the Commerce Department on semiconductors – especially as it relates to CHIPS and export controls – you’ll notice an emphasis on advanced and leading edge chips. The U.S. aims to be the “premier destination” for leading edge chips and has “been intentional” about limiting China’s access to advanced chipmaking equipment. But what seems like an almost exclusive concentration on leading edge chips highlights two problems: First, all chips matter. Advanced and leading edge chips are no doubt important, but we can’t forget about legacy chips. These critical chips are in automobiles, planes, home appliances, medical devices, military systems, and more. A new report from CSIS underscores their strategic importance:  “Despite the name, legacy… Read More

Five Pressing Questions for BIS Director Alan Estevez

Posted on by China Tech Threat
The House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) announced that BIS Under Secretary Alan Estevez will participate in a hearing on Tuesday morning at 10 AM on “Combatting the Generational Challenge of CCP Aggression.” The hearing should come as no surprise. Last June, Congressman McCaul told reporters that he planned to “focus like a laser on export control issues” once he became Chairman, adding that BIS “puts too much emphasis on industry and very little if nothing on security and that has to change.” Given his national security background, which is much needed at BIS at a time like this, China Tech Threat supported a vote for Mr. Estevez in the lead up to his March 2022 confirmation. We also applauded BIS’s… Read More