According to a recent report by Huanqiu.com, the U.S. government recently tightened export restrictions on Huawei again, and at the same time revoked some licenses for chipmakers Qualcomm and Intel to export semiconductors to Huawei. Regarding the US restriction of Huawei again, China's Ministry of Commerce said that the US abused the concept of national security, abused export control measures, deliberately politicized economic and trade issues, and deliberately suppressed Chinese companies, which China firmly opposes. #美国撤销高通英特尔对华为出口许可 ##商务部回应美国对华为出口管制新规#
It is reported that in order to suppress Huawei and prevent China from making a breakthrough in artificial intelligence, the United States proposed as early as 2022 to establish a "semiconductor supply chain alliance" for China and Chinese enterprises. According to the plan of the United States, the main members of the "chip alliance" include Japan, South Korea, Europe and Taiwan, China, including Samsung, Intel, Qualcomm, ASML and other giants in the global semiconductor industry. #MCN首发激励计划#
It is undeniable that due to geopolitical considerations, as sovereign participants in the "chip alliance", governments have indeed shown some enthusiasm, especially South Korea and Japan. In the case of the United States banning the export of high-end chips to China, Japan has also concocted its own ban on the export of semiconductors to China, according to the British media, the Japanese government's ban is more ruthless and more desperate than that of the United States, "more lethal". South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol personally flew to the Netherlands to meet with the king of the Netherlands, visited ASML headquarters, and made every effort to promote the US-led "chip alliance".
After all, China is the world's largest semiconductor market, with a total global semiconductor revenue of US$521.3 billion in 2023, of which China's imported chips will reach US$349.5 billion, accounting for 67% of the world's total semiconductor sales. Therefore, despite the "strict orders" of the United States, there are always semiconductor giants who secretly provide advanced chips to China and Chinese companies, so that the superpowers are careless and unable to prevent it.
For example, in late February this year, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that in order to open up the Chinese market, the company would customize three chips for China to "bypass the U.S. government's export controls." The three chips are H20, L20 and L2, of which H20 is the most powerful and has begun to accept orders. Nvidia's decision made Washington panic and embarrassed, and immediately interviewed Huang and beat him, but the latter said that Nvidia just wanted to "sell as many chips as possible."
In addition to NVIDIA's "eating steaks", the Dutch ASML Group is also secretly exporting advanced lithography machines to China that are banned by the United States. According to a recent report by Bloomberg, official data from China showed that in April alone, Dutch exports to China increased by 32% year-on-year to $1.4 billion, of which "a large part" may come from ASML's exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, commonly known as "lithography machines". Bloomberg further analyzed that "more than 50% of China's total imports from the Netherlands in recent months are purchased lithography machines".
Well, the facts seem to be obvious, despite the pressure from the United States, the promotion of the South Korean president, and the high degree of cooperation of the Dutch government, the Chinese market is really "too tempting", no one can resist this temptation, even ASML himself admitted that although the export of high-end chips to China began in January this year, exports to China still accounted for almost half of the company's sales in the first quarter. So how to explain it to the United States? ASML CFO Dasen said that these were all orders from China a long time ago, and "there is no reason not to service equipment that has already been sold to China".
Therefore, although the United States has tried its best to build a "chip alliance" that "locks" China's science and technology and prevents China or Chinese companies like Huawei from obtaining advanced chips, it is actually difficult to do so, because capital is profit-seeking, and the United States is fighting against the nature of capital, and it is difficult to succeed. Marx made it very clear: "As soon as there is a proper profit, capital is emboldened." If there is a 10% profit, it is guaranteed to be used everywhere; With a 20% profit, it becomes active; With a 50% profit, it takes risks; For the sake of 100% profit, it dares to trample on all human laws; With a 300% profit, it dares to commit any crime, even risking hanging its head. "Therefore, the U.S. technology blockade of China is doomed to fail.