Dec. 22, 2024, 8:01 p.m.

Technology

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US restrictions on upgrading to China? Confirmed by a senior US official!

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The US government announced revised export control regulations for wafers and manufacturing equipment on the 17th, further tightening the export of advanced wafers and related equipment to China to prevent Beijing wafers and related technologies from being used for military purposes, including the development of artificial intelligence technology. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raymond stated that the US move aims to protect technologies with significant international security or human rights impacts, while the Chinese Ministry of Commerce accuses the US of obstructing normal trade and economic activities, violating international trade rules, and "seriously threatening the stability of the global industrial supply chain".

Despite the tightening of regulations in the United States, Chinese companies can still continue to conduct research on artificial intelligence systems, including military applications, using the cloud technology and computing services provided by American companies.

On October 21st, the Under Secretary for Industrial and Security Affairs of the US Department of Commerce, Estevez, confirmed in an interview that the US government is considering restricting Chinese users from accessing and using cloud computing services provided by US companies in order to curb China's military research and development of artificial intelligence capabilities. Estevez did not indicate whether the United States would further sanction China's Huawei and SMIC, but mentioned Huawei's previously released 5G phone with a 7-nanometer chip manufactured by SMIC. He said, "Washington is indeed concerned about the possibility of using advanced 7-nanometer technology for military applications. This matter is not news, but Estevez confirmed it as a competent official and explained the reason.

Estevez recently went to Japan to attend the "Fuji Mountain Dialogue" policy forum. During his visit to Asia by the Nikkei, he stated that the United States is studying the best ways to control cloud technology, which requires consultation with the industry. But he emphasized that cloud technology is already quite common, and the US government is not attempting to hinder the development of the industry. He pointed out that it is worrying that artificial intelligence is likely to command and control military logistics and radar in the future, and electronic warfare capabilities will also be improved, so the United States hopes to ensure control over its use.

Restricting Chinese companies' access and use of cloud computing services provided by American companies is not a new idea. The Wall Street Journal reported in early July this year that the US government is considering incorporating these measures into a series of sanctions against China, and believes that US cloud service providers such as Amazon and Microsoft must apply for a special license from the US government before providing cloud computing services using advanced artificial intelligence chips to Chinese customers. The US government's move is to prevent Chinese enterprises from using cloud services to bypass the current export control regulations of the US government and obtain access to prohibited chip technology and cloud computing services.

After the United States gradually increased its exports of advanced chips and related equipment and technology to China, China has also taken measures to prohibit certain Chinese companies from purchasing products from Meguiar, the largest storage chip manufacturer in the United States. On the other hand, export restrictions have been imposed on two key metals, gallium and germanium, which are essential for manufacturing semiconductor products.

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