The rise of Huawei's chip strength has triggered a nervous reaction in the United States
In recent years, Huawei has made great strides in its independent chip research and development, launching the Kirin 9000S chip with excellent performance, which has made the US government nervous. The U.S. has escalated sanctions on Huawei in an attempt to curb China's development in the field of chip manufacturing. Apple has also adopted a steep price reduction strategy in the Chinese market to cope with the fierce competition from domestic mobile phones.
Huawei's chip strength and the anxiety of the United States are becoming a new battlefield in the technology war. The direction of this battle will directly affect the future map of the technology industry.
With its self-developed Kirin 9000S chip, Huawei has launched its flagship Mate 60 series mobile phones. This chip is manufactured using a 7nm process, and its performance is close to the international advanced level, and it is in a leading position in the field of mobile phone processors.
The appearance of the Kirin 9000S has undoubtedly made the US government feel great pressure and anxiety. The United States has always regarded Huawei as a "security threat" and has escalated sanctions against Huawei over the years. Recently, the United States revoked the licenses that allowed Intel, Qualcomm and other companies to export chips to Huawei, intending to cut off Huawei's access to advanced chips.
Not only that, but the United States is also considering blacklisting some Chinese semiconductor companies related to Huawei, such as chipmakers Qingdao Sien and Sunway, in order to further suppress Huawei's development in the field of artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
The reason why the United States is so nervous is because Huawei's chip breakthroughs mainly rely on the technology and equipment of American companies such as Applied Materials and Lam Research. This means that China has not yet fully achieved independent and controllable control in key chip manufacturing links.
A new battlefield in the Sino-US science and technology war
In this Sino-US technology war, both sides are sparing no effort to pursue technological leadership. On the one hand, the United States has stepped up sanctions on Chinese technology companies such as Huawei, trying to cut off their access to key technologies. On the other hand, it also vigorously supports the local chip industry in China to maintain its absolute advantage in this field.
Huawei, as the flagship of China's technological development, has been subjected to US suppression and sanctions. With years of continuous investment in chip research and development, Huawei has finally made a breakthrough in the field of 5G chips. In August last year, the Mate 60 series mobile phones equipped with the self-developed Kirin 9000S chip were launched, which attracted global attention.
This chip is manufactured using a 7nm process, and its performance is close to the international advanced level, allowing Huawei to regain its place in the field of 5G mobile phones. Both the Chinese government and the private sector regard it as a major breakthrough in China's chip strength, and a strong proof that Huawei has achieved independent innovation and broken through the blockade under severe US sanctions.
This does not seem to be the case. According to a Bloomberg report, Huawei's chip is not entirely developed in-house, and its manufacturing process still uses technology and equipment from American companies, such as Applied Materials and Lam Research. This means that, despite the great strides made, China still can't completely get rid of its dependence on foreign countries when it comes to chip manufacturing.
In the face of Huawei's "breakthrough", the U.S. government has not relaxed sanctions on Huawei. Instead, it is putting more pressure on its allies to further tighten restrictions on China's access to chip technology. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Raimondo said bluntly that there is still a big gap between Huawei's chip and the advanced technology of the United States, and the export controls imposed by the Biden administration on China have worked.
It can be seen that in this scientific and technological war, both sides are increasing their efforts and constantly escalating. The United States hopes to cut off China's access to key technologies through a total blockade; China, on the other hand, is stepping up its efforts to innovate independently and get rid of its dependence on foreign countries. In the short term, it may be difficult to distinguish between victory and defeat, but in the long run, whoever holds the dominant position in science and technology will be able to occupy an advantageous position in the future competition.
As experts said, Huawei's launch of a new machine on the occasion of Raimondo's visit to China is a clear political signal. In the future, the United States may impose tougher sanctions on China's semiconductor industry, expand the scope of review, and blacklist more companies in China's semiconductor industry chain. In this protracted technology war, both sides are constantly increasing their weight, but it remains to be seen who the ultimate winner will be.
The future direction of the Sino-US technology war
In this protracted Sino-US technology war, both sides are constantly increasing their weight, but it remains to be seen who the ultimate winner will be.
Judging from the current situation, although the US government's sanctions on Huawei and other Chinese technology companies have caused a certain degree of impact, they have not completely cut off their access to key technologies. Through independent innovation, close cooperation with domestic and foreign partners, and flexible use of business models, Huawei and other companies continue to break through the blockade and maintain a certain momentum of development.
We must also be soberly aware that there is indeed a certain gap between China and the United States in core technology fields such as chip manufacturing. This gap is not only reflected in the hardware level, but also in the software, talent and other aspects. In order to truly become a scientific and technological power, China not only needs to increase investment, but also needs to make great efforts in personnel training and basic research, and strive persistently.
In this tech war, both sides need to remain rational and restrained. Excessive confrontation and sanctions will not only harm the interests of both sides, but may also hinder the process of global scientific and technological innovation. On the contrary, cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit will be a wiser choice to promote scientific and technological progress and benefit all mankind.
The development of science and technology has become an important embodiment of national competitiveness. In this competition, China needs to insist on independent innovation, and at the same time, it must also open its door and actively absorb the world's advanced scientific and technological achievements. Only in this way can China truly achieve self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology and make unremitting efforts to build a strong country in science and technology.
The United States also needs to take an objective view of China's scientific and technological development and abandon excessive vigilance and prejudice. The development of science and technology is an important driving force for the progress of human civilization, and the development of science and technology in any country should be respected and supported. Only on the basis of mutual understanding and tolerance can China and the United States, as well as countries around the world, work hand in hand to promote scientific and technological innovation for the benefit of all mankind.