When five Chinese companies were recently sanctioned by the United States for allegedly supporting Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, the move amplified China’s sense of crisis in its tech industries. Chinese state media openly admit that China’s semiconductor industry faces numerous challenges. During a visit to Wuhan at the end of June, communist leader Xi Jinping emphasized that there is an urgent need to make key breakthroughs, as China’s high-tech industry is being strangled by developed countries in some key areas.
The U.S. Department of Commerce on June 28 placed five Chinese companies on a trade blacklist, saying they support Russia’s military and defense industrial base. Three of these companies are related to chip manufacturing or semiconductor electronic components….