China says banning Micron products is 'necessary security measure'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Agency
22 May 2023 18:12

Chinese authorities emphasized that international companies are free to operate in China as long as they abide by the law.

A smartphone with a displayed Micron logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023 (Reuters)

Chinese authorities have reportedly banned critical infrastructure operators from buying chips manufactured by US tech giant: Micron. After the necessary investigations, it was inferred that banning Micron chips is necessary to ensure national cybersecurity, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning announced.

The US tech company was assessed to pose a risk to Beijing's security by the Cyberspace Administration of China, which emphasized that international companies are free to operate in China as long as they abide by the law.

"I would like to stress that the inspection was aimed at preventing problems with ensuring the cybersecurity of products and threats to the security of the country's key information infrastructure, this is a necessary measure to ensure national security," Mao told a briefing.

In August last year, President Joe Biden signed a multibillion-dollar bill into law to boost domestic semiconductor and other high-tech manufacturing sectors that US leaders fear will be dominated by China.

The Chips and Science Act includes approximately $52 billion in funding to promote the production of microchips, the tiny but powerful and relatively difficult-to-manufacture components at the heart of almost every modern piece of machinery.

More than tens of billions of dollars are set aside for scientific research and development. According to the White House, the government's commitment to bolstering high-tech industries is already attracting large-scale private investors, with $50 billion in new semiconductor investment alone. The lion's share of that is a $40 billion investment by US firm Micron in domestic expansion by 2030.