Tag: ymtc

US Chipmaker Micron’s Products to Be Examined in China for Cybersecurity Risks

China’s cyberspace regulator will conduct a cybersecurity review of products sold in the country by US memory chip manufacturer Micron Technology, the regulator said on Friday.

The move, which comes amid a spat over chip technology between Washington and Beijing, is aimed at protecting the security of the supply chain for critical information infrastructure, prevent hidden risks and safeguard national security, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a brief statement.

It gave no other details, including which Micron products it was reviewing.

The United States has imposed a series of export controls on chipmaking technology to China for fear it could be used to produce chips for applications such as artificial intelligence which could be used by China’s military, and blacklisted a number of China’s largest chip firms, including Micron rival Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd.

Micron, one of the world’s largest memory chip makers, did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The company’s shares fell 3 percent on Friday.

“Punitive actions against Micron could suggest a broader shift in Chinese policy with other US vendors with large Chinese exposure now potentially at risk of similar actions,” Wedbush Securities analyst Matthew Bryson said.

On Friday, Japan announced it would align its technology trade controls with a US push to curb China’s ability to make advanced chips. The Netherlands, which makes advanced lithography equipment critical for the manufacture of advanced chips, made a similar announcement earlier this month.

Weak consumer demand has roiled the memory chip market, which is dominated by South Korea’s Samsung Electronics.

Micron derives around 10 percent of its revenue from China, but it was not clear if the review would affect the company’s sales to non-Chinese customers in the country.

The larger chunk of the company’s products flowing into China are being purchased by non-Chinese firms for use in products manufactured in the country, according to analysts.

Micron has offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as a chip packaging facility in the city of Xian. In early 2022, the company announced it would shut its DRAM design operations in Shanghai.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

 

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China to Invest $1.9 Billion in YMTC After US Restrictions Over Security Concerns: Report

China is pumping $1.9 billion into its top memory chipmaker, according to media reports, as US restrictions on semiconductor exports threaten Beijing’s tech ambitions. Semiconductor manufacturer Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC) is set to receive 12.9 billion yuan from the state-owned National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing government data.

The move comes after the US Commerce Department in December added YMTC to its so-called “Entity List”, blocking the firm along with dozens of other Chinese companies from purchasing US chip technology.

Washington has in recent months tightened restrictions on Chinese chipmakers, citing national security concerns and the ability for the technology to be used by China’s defence sector.

According to US rules released last week, chipmakers benefitting from a $39 billion government fund must agree not to expand capacity in “countries of concern”, including China, for a decade. 

To no longer rely on foreign imports for its chips, Beijing has sunk billions of dollars into building up its own semiconductor industry over the past decade.

And in December, it filed a dispute with the World Trade Organization over US chip export restrictions, accusing Washington of protectionism and violating international trade rules.

State-controlled Chinese business news outlet Jiemian on Thursday said the investment from the national fund was part of a capital infusion that also included two companies backed by the government of Hubei province, where YMTC is based.

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Apple, YMTC’s Deal Raises Alarm, US Lawmakers Call for Investigation: Report

The US Senators protest Apple’s decision to purchase memory chips from Chinese chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC) and has ordered an investigation into the threat that the deal poses to national security, media reports said.

This comes amid reports that Apple was considering purchasing memory chips from YMTC for the new iPhone 14, reported Financial Post.

Among those who requested the review of the controversial deal were the Democratic Chair of the Senate intelligence committee, Mark Warner, and the Republican Vice Chair, Marco Rubio.

The US lawmakers wrote to the director of national intelligence, Avril Haines and called for an investigation.

YMTC has ambiguous ties to the Chinese Communist party and this new deal which the chipmaker has reportedly brokered with iPhone carries “serious privacy and security risks in the global digital supply chain that Apple helps to develop,” said a report.

Furthermore, there have been reports that Beijing’s significant subsidies have helped the chipmaker grow quickly. The media portal while citing a UK-based research firm Omdia provided the data as to how the share of the chipmaker grew from 2020 to 2021.

“YMTC’s share of the global NAND flash memory market increased from 0.6 percent in 2020 to 2.3 percent in 2021,” reported the outlet quoting the research.

Apple reportedly said that it was “considering” sourcing certain iPhones in China from YMTC. However, Apple on Thursday declined to comment on the letter by US director of national intelligence, Avril Haines which was also signed by Texas Republican John Cornyn and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The senators exhorted that the dangers of the deal to the economy and national security must be assessed. They requested that she investigate the ways in which the Chinese Communist Party uses YMTC to support its native chip industry and oust semiconductor producers from the US and allies.

They also asked for a review of YMTC’s suspected assistance in Huawei and other Chinese firms evading US sanctions. Many Chinese technology companies have come under increased scrutiny in Washington, including YMTC, reported Financial Post.

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China Corruption Watchdog Probing Head of State-Backed Chip-Focused ‘Big Fund’: Details

China’s corruption watchdog said it was investigating the head of the country’s largest state-backed chip investment fund, just over two weeks after it announced a similar probe into a former executive linked to the fund.

Ding Wenwu, the head of China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, also known as the “Big Fund“, is “suspected of serious violations of the law” and is “currently undergoing disciplinary review, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said on Saturday.

It did not disclose more details. Reuters was unable to reach Ding for comment. The Big Fund did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China launched the Big Fund in 2014 as a means to accelerate its semiconductor industry, which is considered to lag behind that of the United States, Taiwan and South Korea.

The organisation raised CNY 138.7 billion (roughly Rs. 162 crore) for its first fund, and CNY 204 billion (roughly Rs. 238 crore) for its second fund.

Over the years, the fund has provided financing to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, China’s leading chip fab, Yangtze Memory Technologies Companies Limited (YMTC), a maker of flash memory, and a number of smaller companies and funds.

In July, the CCDI announced it had placed Lu Jun, former head of investment firm Sino IC Capital, which managed the Big Fund, under investigation, citing “serious violation of discipline and the law.”

© Thomson Reuters 2022

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