Recently, the Dutch government announced that it will auction 257 lithography machines at one time, with an estimated total value of up to 750 billion yuan, which has attracted widespread attention in the industry. These lithography machines not only include the most advanced EUV lithography machines produced by ASML, but also account for the majority of the world's EUV lithography machine production capacity.
The move was interpreted by the industry as an attempt by the Dutch government to get out of the dilemma of being overly dependent on China and the United States or another country. But both China and the United States have made it clear that they are interested in buying lithography machines, signaling that a battle of technological prowess is coming.
Lithography machine is one of the most critical equipment in chip manufacturing, especially EUV lithography machine, which represents the highest level of lithography technology, and mastering this technology directly affects the development prospects of a country's chip industry. China has always wanted to break down the technical barriers in the field of chip manufacturing, but it has been unable to develop its own lithography machine.
The Dutch move presents a unique opportunity. The Chinese government has expressed its full support for domestic companies to buy. Industry analysts believe that this will help China obtain the core technology of lithography machines and accelerate the achievement of world-class chip manufacturing.
At the same time, the United States is closely monitoring developments. The United States, which pursues a policy of technology blockade, has been restricting the export of key technologies such as lithography machines to China. Under political pressure, U.S. companies are also gradually reducing their cooperation with Chinese companies.
While the auction does not involve the most cutting-edge technology within the embargo, the United States remains concerned about any progress made by China. As a result, the U.S. government may pressure the Netherlands or support U.S. companies to bid for some lithography machines.
The contest between China and the United States over scientific and technological competition has thus emerged. The scientific and technological capabilities of both parties are in a delicate balance, and who can get a head start in the lithography machine will play a key role in future dominance. Compared with the all-round technological blockade of the United States, China prefers the path of openness, cooperation and win-win development. The move by the Netherlands provides an opportunity for two ways to compete.
For China, it is particularly urgent to strive for the right to independently develop lithography machines. China's chip industry is developing rapidly, ranking second in the world, and the market demand is huge. However, the manufacturing process still relies on imported equipment, which not only restricts independent innovation, but also brings supply chain security risks.
Obtaining the source technology of lithography machine will help break through the bottleneck of the development of the chip industry. More importantly, it is about national economic security and scientific and technological self-reliance. China is confident that it will use an open and inclusive attitude to persuade global partners to share the dividends of lithography machine technology.
Different from China's position of openness, the United States has always pursued scientific and technological hegemony in order to maintain its monopoly status as a superpower. It has used various means to curb China's scientific and technological progress, but with little success. China's scientific and technological strength has grown rapidly, and it has overtaken the United States in many areas.
The United States is trying to prevent China from breaking through the last technological barrier by pressuring the Netherlands and restricting China's access to lithography machines, but the prospects are slim. Attempts to stifle progress in China's chip industry have clearly failed. On the basis of openness and cooperation, China will continue to strive to make breakthroughs in core technologies and ultimately achieve independence and control.
At present, the competition between China and the United States in science and technology is intensifying, but win-win cooperation is still the only way out. China should not be fooled by the US hegemony in science and technology, still less should it treat others the way they want to go. We must insist on independent innovation and embrace the world with an open mind. China's scientific and technological development is inseparable from international cooperation and will benefit all mankind. Let us put aside our prejudices and use technological innovation to promote human well-being and build a better world together.
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