US To Quiz Huawei’s Chip Breakthrough

Huawei Technologies' breakthrough in making an advanced chip underscores China's determination and capacity to fight back against US sanctions, but the efforts are likely to be very costly and could prompt Washington to tighten restrictions, analysts said, David Kirton and Max A. Cherney reported for Reuters.

The Mate 60 Pro is powered by its proprietary chip, Kirin 9000s, and manufactured by the country's top contract chipmaker SMIC using advanced 7 nanometer (nm) technology. I Photo: Huawei

Huawei unexpectedly unveiled the latest Mate 60 Pro smartphone last week during US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's visit to China, as the government prepares a new $40-billion investment fund to bolster its developing chip sector.

The Mate 60 Pro is powered by its proprietary chip, Kirin 9000s, and manufactured by the country's top contract chipmaker SMIC using advanced 7 nanometer (nm) technology, according to Ottawa-headquartered TechInsights.

TechInsights' findings and claims by early users about the phone's powerful performance indicate that China is making headway in developing high-end chips, even as the US has increased sanctions to restrict its access to chipmaking tools.

"It demonstrates the technical progress China’s semiconductor industry has made without EUV tools.

The difficulty of this achievement also shows the resilience of the country’s chip technological ability," said TechInsights analyst Dan Hutcheson. EUV refers to extreme ultraviolet lithography, used to make 7 nm or more advanced chips.

WEEKLY FEATURE : Jose Mari Chan And The Christmas Anthem