Washington is preparing to set limits in what American technologies could be made available to Chinese tech companies, in what appears to be the United States' strongest stance against China after the Trump administration.
According to sources speaking with the New York Times, the Biden administration is expected to announce new measures restricting Chinese companies' access to technologies allowing for "high-performance computing."
The new measures are built on a Trump-era policy that barred Chinese tech giant Huawei from acquiring any product made using American technology, be it software or machinery. The Biden-era policy would expand on this to include more Chinese companies to stifle China's efforts to create next-generation weaponry and large-scale surveillance systems.
While it's not yet clear as to what Chinese entities will be included in the upcoming ban, a number of Chinese government labs, firms and more are expected to be included in the list of entities prohibited from acquiring any technology created using American software and equipment.
The Biden administration is also said to be planning on regulating and controlling the sale of American-made tools to the Chinese semiconductor industry, as well as restricting the sale of U.S.-made chips to Chinese data center and supercomputing projects.
The planned restrictions are expected to hinder Chinese internet firms and tech giants from acquiring the parts and components needed for the said projects. It will also slow down their efforts to develop powerful technologies that could be used for many applications, including artificial engineering and military weaponry such as missiles.
Timely for Security
The Biden administration is also preparing an executive order allowing the government to scrutinize the deals American companies make with foreign companies for national security risks.
These plans expanding a Trump-era policy comes timely as Apple courts Chinese chip maker Yangtze Memory Technology Corp. (YMTC) for iPhone chips.
Earlier reports indicate that the Cupertino tech giant reached out to YMTC for chips to be used on "some iPhones" that will be sold in the Chinese market. This will help the American company lessen production costs and maximize its profits in one of the world's largest markets.
Apple's move, however, is considered risky given Beijing's use of Chinese technology for espionage, among other uses.
China is known for its invasive monitoring and surveillance of citizens inside and outside China. Inside, the Chinese government continually monitors ethnic and religious minorities. Outside, China continues to monitor citizens in different countries and persuade them to return to the Asian country through unpleasant means.
