China Bans U.S. Chipmaker Micron's Products, Escalating Tech Battle With United States
- China's cybersecurity regulator has found that Micron Technology's products have failed its network security review and banned Chinese firms from buying chips from the U.S. memory manufacturer.
- The ban comes after China announced a review of Micron imports in late March in a move that was seen as retaliation for sanctions Washington has imposed on Chinese chipmakers in recent years.
- Micron is the first US chipmaker to be targeted by Beijing after a series of export controls by Washington on certain US components and chipmaking tools to block them from being used to advance China’s military capabilities.
- The move shows how far apart the two sides are drifting on tech policy and is seen as a reprisal for the Biden administration's harsh steps to block Chinese chip makers' access to crucial tools.
- South Korea's companies, Samsung and SK Hynix, have the most to gain from the Micron ban and may not follow the United States' lead in harming their own interests.