A concept picture of chip Photo: VCG

The US is considering requiring permits for global AI chip sales, such as those from Nvidia and AMD, meaning it would restrict AI chip shipments to anywhere in the world without American approval, according to media reports. Chinese experts said that such move is another US attempt to maintain its chip hegemony through long-arm jurisdiction that will spark widespread opposition, including from US allies.

Notably, the reported move comes as China is stepping up efforts to bolster technology self-reliance and strength, with some calling for building a homegrown equivalent of lithography giant ASML. With China's growing capabilities, any US attempt to contain China's tech development will fail, experts said.

According to a Bloomberg report on Friday, US officials have written draft regulations that would restrict AI chip shipments to anywhere in the world without American approval, giving Washington broad control over whether other countries can build facilities for training and running AI models - and under what conditions.

Specifically, shipments of up to 1,000 of Nvidia's latest GB300 graphics processing units, or GPUs, would undergo a fairly simple review with certain exemption opportunities. Companies building bigger clusters would need preclearance before seeking export licenses. They could face conditions such as disclosing their business models or allowing the US government site visits, depending on the specifics of the data centers in question, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The US aims to impose a global licensing regime on AI chips effectively turning advanced semiconductors into a scarce, controlled resource - akin to a "chip dollar," Zhang Xiaorong, director of the Beijing-based Cutting-Edge Technology Research Institute, told the Global Times on Friday.

Through long-arm jurisdiction, Washington seeks to shift from defensive containment to offensive dominance: dictating AI development rights worldwide to preserve hegemony and suppress competitors, Zhang said, adding that this carries clear hallmarks of technological colonialism.

"US allies, including EU, will likely push back hard. This is an assault on their tech sovereignty, threatening their own AI ambitions and commercial interests," said Zhang.

For China in the short term, Chinese firms would likely face certain access constraints to top-tier chips for computing power, the expert said. "But in the long term, this forces a full pivot to domestic compute and an independent AI ecosystem. The transition will be difficult - but essential - or genuine self-reliance," Zhang said.

Notably, an article co-authored by nine executives and scholars from China's semiconductor industry published on Wednesday has aroused public attention. It urged a coordinated national drive to build a homegrown equivalent of lithography giant ASML during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), while urging the sector to "abandon illusions and prepare for struggle" amid tightening US technology restrictions.

They, including leaders from SMIC, Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC), Naura Technology, and Empyrean Technology, described the push as essential to overcome deepening US export controls that have blocked access to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines and tightened restrictions on high-end deep ultraviolet (DUV) tools, as well as EDA software and other critical inputs.

"The appeal signals a pivotal shift: moving from isolated breakthroughs toward systematic, whole-of-nation efforts to achieve true supply-chain security. Without mastering lithography systems, genuine independence in advanced nodes remains elusive," Zhang said.

Zhang also called building a Chinese ASML - "a battle China cannot afford to lose" as EUV lithography is essential for patterning nanoscale features on silicon wafers and is the cornerstone of advanced-node production. The US has reportedly blocked ASML from exporting EUV machines to China.

"The goal is clear - achieve unbreakable semiconductor security and eliminate fatal dependence on foreign supply chains," said Zhang.

While China has achieved breakthroughs in critical EUV subsystems, such as laser light sources, motion stages, and optical systems, the authors argue the decisive challenge for the 15th Five-Year Plan period is mobilizing national resources to integrate these advances into a complete, commercially viable industrial chain.

Zhang also projected that phased results of self-developed EUV nodes are realistically achievable around 2030, given breakthroughs in light sources, optics, and other subsystems, allowing China to gradually form an autonomous equipment ecosystem.

The call also came as China's annual "two sessions" are underway. On Thursday, the newly delivered Government Work Report outlined this year's major tasks, including building a robust domestic market, fostering new growth drivers at a faster pace, and moving faster to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The Government Work Report also said that "we will improve full life-cycle, whole-of-chain financial services for scientific and technological innovation, and establish routine fast-track channels for public listing, merger, acquisition, and restructuring for sci-tech enterprises developing core technologies in key fields. Such moves will ensure that technology finance truly supports innovation and invention."