China to test US chipmaker Micron’s products for ‘risks’ amid spat with Washington

Cyberspace Administration of China said on Friday (March 31) that it will carry out a cybersecurity review of products by US memory chip manufacturer Micron Technology Inc. The move from the regulator has come amid spat between China and the US over chip technology. The Chinese regulator said that the review is aimed at protecting the security of the supply chain for critical information infrastructure, prevent hidden risks and safeguard national security.

No other details were made public including which products of Micron were under review.

The United States has imposed a series of export controls on chipmaking technology to China for fear it could be used to produce chips for applications such as artificial intelligence which could be used by China's military, and blacklisted a number of China's largest chip firms, including Micron rival Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd.

Micron is one of the world's largest memory chip makers. Reuters said that Micron did not immediately respond to a comment.

"Punitive actions against Micron could suggest a broader shift in Chinese policy with other U.S. vendors with large Chinese exposure now potentially at risk of similar actions," Wedbush Securities analyst Matthew Bryson said.

On Friday, Japan announced it would align its technology trade controls with a U.S. push to curb China's ability to make advanced chips. The Netherlands, which makes advanced lithography equipment critical for the manufacture of advanced chips, made a similar announcement earlier this month.

(With inputs from agencies)

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