Huawei's Kirin 9006C Chipset Disappoints; Made by TSMC, Not SMIC

The chipset, used in Huawei's new notebooks, was produced using TSMC's 5nm technology in 2020, debunking speculations of a Chinese technological breakthrough.

Huawei's new Kirin 9006C chipset, used in its Qingyun L540 and Qingyun L420 notebooks, has been found to be slower than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, disappointing industry expectations.
The Kirin 9006C chipset was not manufactured by China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co. (SMIC) as speculated, but by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC).
The chipset was produced using TSMC's 5nm technology in 2020, around the time US sanctions cut off Huawei’s access to the chipmaker.
SMIC is yet to start 5nm chip manufacturing, which would have marked a significant technological leap for the Chinese semiconductor industry.
Huawei's procurement of a three-year-old TSMC processor suggests it has been stockpiling vital semiconductors since the US began cutting off its access to components and gear globally.