US-based semiconductor firm Micron Photo:VCG

US chipmaker Micron Technology is reportedly pushing the US Congress to pass legislation that would impose new export restrictions on chipmaking equipment used by Chinese semiconductor firms, Reuters reported. Chinese experts said that hindering competitors does not equate to enhancing one's own competitiveness, and Washington's restrictive attempts over the years have already proven ineffective in curbing China's technological progress.

A US House committee on Wednesday voted to advance the Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware (MATCH) Act, according to Reuters, a bill aimed at closing "loopholes" in existing restrictions on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, materials, and software.

After passing the House committee, the bill must be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before being sent to the US president to be signed into law or vetoed.

The bill names several Chinese integrated circuit companies, including ChangXin Memory Technologies, Hua Hong Semiconductor Limited, Huawei Technologies Company, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, and Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation. It claims that comprehensive export controls are necessary to prevent the Chinese firms from accessing products made with US technologies.

The Global Times sought comment from Micron, ChangXin Memory Technologies, and Yangtze Memory Technologies, but had received no response as of press time.

The US' unilateral controls have severely disrupted the normal functioning of the global semiconductor supply chain and impacted international economic and trade order, Gao Lingyun, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday. He stressed that Washington's long-standing attempt, including the erection of barriers, have already been proven ineffective in restraining China's technological advancements such as in artificial intelligence, robotics and semiconductor. 

"Backed by a complete industrial system and a vast market, China's industrial development is difficult to contain," Gao said. Besides, "slowing others down does not make oneself run faster," he said.

The bill stipulates that within 180 days of enactment, and annually thereafter, US' allied supplier countries must submit lists of all covered semiconductor manufacturing equipment and entities owning or operating covered facilities, and must require licenses from both the US and the supplier country for exports of relevant items.

Gao noted that economic and trade exchanges between China and relevant countries had been stable and healthy, but the US, in a bid to maintain its global dominance, is willing to undermine the actual economic interests of its allies, adding that as a result, some US' allies may not fully comply, as doing so would directly harm their own interests.

In addition, Reuters cited Micron as saying that the push for the bill is aimed at preventing China from dominating memory chip manufacturing, as it has done in sectors such as solar energy. "We should not be misled by the US narrative into believing that China's chip industry will move toward so-called 'monopoly,'" Gao argued. 

He added that the original intention behind China's development of the photovoltaic sector is to promote global sustainable development and reduce carbon emissions, rather than to monopolize the market. "China's solar industry edge reflects domestic market advantages in scale and competitiveness, as well as China's unwavering goal in pursuing green transition, far from achieving market dominance or monopoly," Gao said.