Tech
China Slams US Over Chip Shipment Trackers
China’s state-run media on Friday accused the United States of turning the chip trade into a “surveillance game” following reports that Washington had secretly placed location tracking devices in targeted shipments of advanced semiconductors to detect diversions to China.
A Xinhua commentary, citing “reports” on the trackers, said the move reflected the “instincts of a surveillance empire” and accused the US of running “the world’s most sprawling intelligence apparatus.”
The criticism follows a Reuters report earlier this week that US authorities embedded tracking devices in certain chip shipments at risk of being redirected to China, which is under Washington’s export curbs for advanced chip technology.
The Biden administration has in recent years tightened restrictions on exports of advanced chips and related technology to China, citing national security concerns, while also imposing bans on telecommunications equipment from several Chinese firms.
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Xinhua warned that if US chips were perceived as “Trojan horses for surveillance,” global customers could turn to alternative suppliers.
Last month, China’s cyberspace regulator asked US chipmaker Nvidia to clarify whether its H20 chips contained any backdoor security risks, and has since urged domestic tech firms to exercise caution in using them.
