US-China tech war: Washington’s curbs will only ‘travel towards tightening’ as national security trumps economics
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the CEOs of US chips firms Intel, Qualcomm and Nvidia on Monday
- The Washington-based Semiconductor Industry Association on Monday also urged the Biden administration to avoid placing further restrictions on China
Any easing of US tech restrictions on China will be an “uphill battle” due to national security concerns despite the recent resumption of high-level talks between Beijing and Washington, analysts said, as top chip firms urged the Biden administration to refrain from adding further curbs.
Reports also suggested US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, National Economic Council director Lael Brainard and National Security Council director Jake Sullivan took part in the meeting.
The Semiconductor Industry Association, a Washington-based trade association and lobbying group, on Monday also urged the Biden administration to avoid placing further restrictions on China and to allow the industry to have continued access to the world’s largest commercial market for semiconductors.
The Biden administration, and like the Trump administration before them, is justifying these controls on the basis of national security
“The Biden administration, and like the Trump administration before them, is justifying these controls on the basis of national security,” said Nick Marro, the lead analyst for global trade at the Economist Intelligence Unit, adding that US chip firms are facing an “uphill battle”.