Blinken: US’s China Chip Controls Not Intended to Hurt Economy or Tech Development

During a recent interview with National Public Radio on April 26, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken clarified that the strict export controls over advanced computer chips to China are not aimed at harming China’s economy or technological development. The US has been imposing these restrictions since 2021, affecting sales from companies like Nvidia, AMD, and Intel, following a previous ban on chip shipments to Huawei Technologies.

Despite these restrictions, the US has granted at least two licenses to Intel and Qualcomm to continue shipping chips to Huawei. However, Blinken emphasized that these exceptions are based on national security concerns and not intended to hinder China’s technology development. He also noted that the licenses granted to Intel and Qualcomm were authorized during the Trump administration and remain in effect under President Biden.

However, competitors like AMD and MediaTek did not receive similar exceptions, raising questions about why these decisions were made by both administrations. Blinken’s comments during his visit to Beijing sought to reassure China that the US’s focus is on security concerns and not on restricting trade with China.