China Strikes Back at U.S. Chip Maker Even as It Signals Openness

When top Chinese officials held receptions for dozens of American and European business executives at back-to-back annual economic forums last week, the intended message was clear: China was open for business.

But by week’s end, China’s fearsome regulators had sent an altogether different signal.

Beijing announced a cybersecurity probe into Micron Technology, a top-tier U.S. chip maker, on Friday. The measure, which many industry analysts had expected, marked China’s most significant stroke of retaliation against Washington over its campaign to sever China’s access to high-end chips.

China’s internet watchdog said that it was conducting a review of Micron’s products sold in the country to “safeguard the security of the information infrastructure supply chain.” Mao Ning, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, characterized the review as a “normal regulatory measure” focused on products that could affect national security.

Based in Boise, Idaho, Micron Technology makes memory chips used in phones, computers, data centers, cars and in other electronics. It has longstanding ties in China and is an emblem of America’s leading position in the global semiconductor industry. But now Micron has gotten ensnared in China’s drive to become self-sufficient in advanced technology.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/04/business/micron-china-investigation.html