China to probe Micron over cybersecurity, in chip war’s latest battle
The
Chinese
government
is
instituting
a
cybersecurity
review
of
US-based
memory
chip
maker
Micron’s
products
being
sold
in
the
country,
in
the
latest
move
in
the
ongoing
semiconductor
trade
dispute
that
pits
China
against
the
US
and
its
allies.
The
Chinese
government
is
instituting
a
cybersecurity
review
of
US-based
memory
chip
maker
Micron’s
products
being
sold
in
the
country,
in
the
latest
move
in
the
ongoing
semiconductor
trade
dispute
that
pits
China
against
the
US
and
its
allies.
The
rupture
between
China
and
the
West
over
semiconductors
is
causing
chip
supply
chain
disruptions
that
threaten
many
of
the
fastest-growing
parts
of
the
technology
sector
–
mainly
AI
and
cloud
technology.
The
chip
war
is
also
putting
global
enterprises
in
the
crosshairs,
as
auto
manufacturing
and
a
host
of
other
sectors
are
increasingly
dependent
on
the
availability
of
advanced
silicon
for
growth.
China
states
concern
over
national
security
A
brief
Chinese
government
statement
issued
on
March
31
said
that
the
review
of
Micron
is
being
undertaken
“in
order
to
ensure
the
security
of
the
key
information
infrastructure
supply
chain,
prevent
network
security
risks
caused
by
hidden
product
problems,
and
maintain
national
security,”
according
to
a
machine
translation
of
the
announcement.
A
series
of
measures,
taken
by
the
US
presidential
administrations
of
Joe
Biden
and
Donald
Trump
administrations,
have
barred
the
use
of
Chinese-made
hardware
in
US
networks
and
imposed
export
controls
designed
to
keep
the
latest
computing
technology
out
of
China’s
hands.
In
early
October,
the
Biden
administration
issued
new
export
controls
that
block
US
companies
from
selling
advanced
semiconductors
and
equipment
to
certain
Chinese
manufacturers
unless
they
receive
a
special
license.
In
mid-December,
the
administration
expanded
those
restrictions.
The
purpose
of
the
restrictions,
as
stated
by
the
Biden
administration,
is
to
deny
China
access
to
advanced
technology
for
military
modernization
and
human
rights
abuses.
Further
efforts
to
bring
chip
manufacturing
back
to
US
shores,
like
the
CHIPS
and
Science
Act,
are
part
of
the
growing
standoff
between
the
two
countries.
US
concerned
about
security
of
Chinese
tech
The
implications
of
China’s
investigation
into
Micron
are
similar
to
US
concerns
about
companies
like
Huawei
and
ZTE
—
those
firms’
close
ties
to
the
Chinese
government,
along
with
a
long-standing
pattern
of
industrial
espionage
linked
to
China,
prompted
a
series
of
restrictions
and
the
eventual
ban
on
their
presence
in
US
networks.
Other
countries,
most
notably
the
UK
and
Sweden,
have
imposed
similar
bans
for
similar
reasons.
Others
still,
like
Germany,
are
scrutinizing
the
use
of
Chinese
equipment
in
their
major
carrier
networks,
and
could
follow
suit.
The
US
has
also
teamed
with
Taiwain,
Japan
and
South
Korea
–
all
major
chip
producers
–
to
create
a
supply
chain
protection
system,
in
order
to
avoid
major
disruptions
like
the
ones
that
occurred
as
a
result
of
the
COVID
pandemic
and
the
war
in
Ukraine.
Additional
efforts
at
chip-based
diplomacy
have
also
taken
place
between
the
US
and
India,
which
recently
signed
a
memorandum
of
understanding
aimed
at
reducing
both
nations’
dependence
on
China
for
semiconductors.
A
widely
distributed
statement
from
Micron
said
that
the
company
is
aware
of
the
Chinese
government’s
investigation
and
that
it
plans
to
cooperate
fully.
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