Donald Trump will return to the White House on January 20. But the American government did not wait for it to take office to adopt sanctions aimed at curbing the development of artificial intelligence in China. The Middle Kingdom, for its part, announced other measures specifically targeting Uncle Sam. Let’s take stock.
China deprived of essential components
The US Department of Commerce has therefore just added 140 Chinese companies operating in the electronic chip sector. The idea behind this “Entity List” is to prevent imports of American technology to adversary countries.
These organizations are believed to represent a risk to national security. From then on, they can no longer acquire goods from American companies. Likewise, American companies that want to sell goods to them must obtain ministerial authorization.
The Chinese Semiconductor Association did not fail to react to this announcement which, according to it, aims to “blocking and slowing down China without good reason”. In fact, these measures are very restrictive and also target foreign companies that deliver to China from countries like Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, or Israel. Which gives an extraterritorial scope to the text, specifies The Echoes.
Seeming to come to terms with this new situation, she also recently indicated: “US chips are no longer safe and reliable, and affected Chinese industries will need to exercise caution in purchasing these products”.
China strikes back
The United States therefore seems determined to slow down China’s technological catch-up in semiconductors, which is causing great concern across the Atlantic. For its part, the communist regime was quick to respond.
THE New York Times tells us that the Middle Kingdom will ban the export of several rare minerals to the United States. This concerns sales of gallium, germanium, antimony and so-called ultra-hard materials to the United States would be immediately stopped on the grounds that they have dual military and civilian uses, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said.
These are used in particular for the construction of solar panels, LEDs, batteries and other major electronic products. Before Donald Trump takes office, China wants to show its muscles and its determination. She had also refrained from implementing such measures during her first mandate, but the situation seems different this time.
