The race for chip supremacy: US vs. China

The United States is actively seeking insights into Huawei Technologies Co.'s advancements in chip technology, sparking speculation about the effectiveness of Washington's curbs on China's tech sector.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed interest in understanding the precise composition of Huawei's Mate 60 Pro processor, which was found to be a few years behind current generation technology.
The "China essence"
State-backed Chinese media celebrated the discovery as a breakthrough in reducing reliance on American technology, emphasizing its significance as "China Essence," cleverly playing on the words for "chip" and "heart".
However, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reiterated the need for more information about the chip's character and composition, highlighting the importance of maintaining a "small yard, high fence" approach to technology restrictions focused primarily on national security.
US sanctions and the quest for independence
Despite US sanctions restricting Huawei and SMIC from accessing advanced chipmaking technology, the Mate 60 Pro, powered by a 7nm Kirin 9000s processor, signifies Beijing's progress in reducing reliance on American tech.
Some analysts suggest that if produced on a large scale, this device could pose a threat to Apple Inc.'s iPhone sales in China.
Read also: Watch out Windows, you got a new competitor.

Strategic importance of semiconductors
This development underscores the strategic importance of the semiconductor industry and the geopolitical tensions surrounding it.
It also raises questions about the effectiveness of global campaigns to block China's access to cutting-edge technologies if breaches of these curbs are not addressed promptly.
The race for chip supremacy has officially begun, with the United States and China locked in a heated battle for technological advancement.
How good is the Huawei Mate 60 Pro's chip compared to US-based smartphone chips?
The Huawei Mate 60 Pro is rumored to be powered by the Kirin 9000S chip, which is a slightly downgraded version of the Kirin 9000 4G chip. The Kirin 9000S is still a high-end chip, but it is not as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip.
However, According to GSMarena, The HiSilicon Kirin 9000 has the highest AnTuTu 9 score, with a significant improvement in GPU performance. The GPU score is 280,796, which is slightly lower than the Snapdragon 888 Plus. The CPU score is also one of the best.
Featured image credit: kjpargeter/Freepik.
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