U.S. restricts Beijing's technological advances for national security reasons. But it is difficult for American companies to determine which factories in China produce advanced chips, and which — no.
The United States is putting together a list of advanced Chinese chip factories that are barred from receiving key tools. It could be made public in the next few months, Reuters reported, citing three anonymous sources.
In 2022, the U.S. Commerce Department banned American companies from supplying equipment to Chinese factories that make advanced chips, as the U.S. seeks severely limit Beijing's technological advances for national security reasons. But the companies say it's difficult to determine exactly which factories in China make advanced chips and which don't, and have long called on the Commerce Department to release a specific list.
A Chinese embassy official in Washington said the U.S. should “stop overstretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to stifle Chinese companies.”
U.S. officials responded to companies' requests for a list at an annual export control conference in Washington this week.
“People are saying, 'Please, just tell us which of these advanced technologies you really care about,'” said one official who spoke at the event.
The official added that the list probably wouldn't However, he noted that if the government can help identify which facilities are of concern to it, it will help American companies.