Biden’s Chip Limits on China Mark a War of High-Tech Attrition
The US now realizes it can’t outpace its foremost rival simply by running faster; it must also slow Beijing down.
Weaponized.
Photographer: Annabelle Chih/Getty Images
The US is escalating the technological cold war with China through new sanctions to squeeze the flow of high-end semiconductors and semiconductor-manufacturing equipment to Beijing.
Don’t let the technological arcana fool you: Since advanced semiconductors power information-age societies, the US is seeking to hinder Chinese economic dynamism and military muscle alike. Washington’s new policy is a warning to Beijing about the long reach of US power in a globalized economy. It also reflects a sobering recognition that the US can’t win its competition with China simply by running faster; it must also slow Beijing down.