US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “We are very concerned about China’s restriction on sales of Micron chips to domestic information infrastructure operators. It declares market opening and is committed to a transparent Chinese regulatory framework.”
Mr. Miller said the Commerce Department was addressing US concerns about China.
The US Commerce Department said it would work with allies to address “distortions in the chip market caused by China’s actions”.
The action on the US side came shortly after China’s cyber regulator announced that US chipmaker Micron’s products had failed a cybersecurity assessment.
Memory chip from the giant Macron (USA) appeared at a technology exhibition in Germany 2015. Photo: Reuters
On May 22, chip company Micron said it is considering next steps. “We want to continue talking with Chinese officials,” said Micron.
In the worst-case scenario, Micron will lose about 11% of its revenue due to the ban, according to Mark Li, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein. The Nikkei quoted analyst Brady Wang of research firm Counterpoint as predicting that if China’s ban on Micron products lasts long (2.3 years or more), rival companies in South Korea will benefit.
Beijing’s decision comes ahead of a visit to Washington by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. Recently, speaking at a conference in Shanghai with the presence of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, Johnson & Johnson and Honeywell International (USA), the Chinese Minister of Commerce said that Beijing will continue to receive American companies that develop in this country.
Mr. Wang said, “China’s economy is recovering and improving. Market potential continues to be unlocked. This will bring more development opportunities for companies around the world, including US companies.”
German prosecutors have accused four former company executives of illegally selling software to Turkish secret services. Photo: DPA
In another development, broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) reported on May 22 that German prosecutors have charged four former FinFisher executives. The company sells illegal software to Turkiye’s secret services to spy on the country’s opposition.
According to southern German prosecutors, FinFisher signed a deal worth more than $5.4 million in 2015 to sell surveillance software to Ankara intelligence, along with training and support. Spyware allows users to gain control of computers and smartphones, as well as monitor communications.
Prosecutors said the Finspy software was provided to a Turkish opposition movement in 2017, downloaded from a website “with the aim of going undercover to spy on them”.
