As the United States continues to impose regulations that limit China's access to US-made chips, the Chinese government has now made steps to ensure the country's technological stability. These steps include imposing measures that support local chipmakers as they attempt to create new technologies that can hopefully be used to reduce the country's dependence on foreign-made computer components.
The latest development in this regard comes in the form of the unveiling of a new generation general-purpose central processing unit (CPU) manufactured by Chinese chipmaker Loongson. The firm unveiled its latest product on Tuesday in Beijing.
The two processors called the Loongson 3A4000 and the Loongson 38400, were created using a 28-nanometer production technique. The 3A4000 has a max frequency of 1.6 GHz, while the 384000 can be ramped up to 2.0 GHz. According to Loongson's president, Hu Weiwu, the new chips are twice as fast as the previous versions released by the company.
While the speed and manufacturing process is relatively slow and outdated, the achievement is still a big milestone for China in its continued efforts to become a technologically independent country.
Loongson's new chips may not be able to compete with products from other international chipmakers, but the company is confident that it will be able to reach world-class levels in the coming years. The Chinese firm hinted that it would soon be moving to a 12-nanometer manufacturing technique by 2021 with its chips reaching frequencies of more than 2.5 GHz.
Apart from the new chips, the company is reportedly also developing source code for its hardware. Loongson is also providing an open-source operating system meant for enterprise use. According to the company, upgrading to its chips will not affect compatibility with existing operating systems and applications.
Following the further escalation of its trade dispute with the United States, China recently called on all government and public offices to immediately remove any US-made hardware and software. The unveiling of Loongson's new chips does come at a very opportune time as the government will likely want to use its products to reduce its current dependence on components made by US companies such as Intel, Nvidia, and Qualcomm.
Loongson was initially established by China's Institute of Computing Technology through a mandate from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Components and chips developed by the firm have so far been utilized in various programs in industries such as space, finance, and energy. Loongson's chips are also being utilized by Chinese tech firm Lenovo, which has already released various products using its new generation processors.
