IntelBrief: Is China Chipping Away at U.S. Trade Restrictions?

Bottom Line Up Front

• The release of a new Chinese smartphone may represent Beijing’s shifting tactics to skirt U.S. trade and export restrictions surrounding microchips used for valuable tech products.
• The microchip powering the new phone is said to be China’s most advanced homegrown microchip yet.
• The development comes as the United States has sought to cut off China’s access to Western and allied semiconductor technologies, calling into question the effectiveness of these efforts.
• Beijing has called U.S. export control measures an “abuse” of export controls and a violation of free trade principles, accusing the United States of harboring a “Cold War mentality” as it seeks to contain China’s economic and geopolitical ascendancy.