US Government’s Targeted Approach to Limiting Technology Exports to China: A Case Study with Intel and AMD

In an exclusive interview with National Public Radio on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shed light on the US export control measures on advanced computer chips to China. According to Blinken, these measures were not intended to impede China’s economic or technological growth. Since 2022, the US government has been strictly controlling the export of computer chips to China, which has affected sales from companies like Nvidia, AMD, and Intel.

However, despite these restrictions, the US government has granted at least two licenses to companies like Intel and Qualcomm to continue selling chips to Huawei. While some Republican Party lawmakers have criticized this exception for Intel, Blinken emphasized that the US is not looking to hinder China’s development in general.

During his visit to Beijing earlier this month, Blinken made it clear that the US is primarily concerned with preventing the sale of sensitive technology that could potentially pose a threat to national security. The licenses granted to Intel and Qualcomm were extended during the Trump administration and have remained in effect under President Biden. However, other companies like AMD and MediaTek did not receive similar exceptions without any explanation from either administration as to why.

This move by the US government highlights its carefully targeted approach towards limiting certain technology exports to China while still allowing exceptions for specific areas where continued cooperation is necessary for national security interests without unnecessarily hindering broader economic or technological development in China.