Republicans in the House have called for stricter regulations on the export of high-tech chips
The letter was sent after the release of the Mate 60 Pro smartphone by Huawei Technologies, which used high-end semiconductors made in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation.
On Friday, October 6, two prominent Republicans in the United States House of Representatives called on the Biden administration to increase the strictness with which it enforces export regulations on high-tech chips destined for China.
In a letter to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, and House Select Committee on China Chairman Mike Gallagher argued that the rapid technological development at China’s leading semiconductor manufacturer calls for a review of the comprehensive regulations implemented in 2022. They stress the need to fix the “loopholes” they see in the current regulations.
The release of the Mate 60 Pro by Huawei Technologies, which uses high-end semiconductors made by China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) in defiance of U.S. restrictions, prompted the letter.
Within their letter, McCaul and Gallagher said, “The new rules that went into effect on October 7 and the growing power of SMIC are examples of a rigid and unclear bureaucratic system that doesn’t understand China’s industrial strategy, its military goals, or how technology works. Also, it appears to lack the resolve to really do anything.”
The lawmakers demanded that the Biden administration update the rules in light of Huawei and SMIC’s rapid expansion. They also advocated for the government to cut off Chinese companies’ access to advanced AI chips that may be accessed via cloud services.
They also underlined the need to implement the administration’s current limitations on Chinese businesses, notably those that prevent U.S. authorities from confirming compliance with U.S. export rules.
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