Propaganda of Mate 60 technologyBy Chuang Mao-chieh 莊貿捷Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technology Co’s new Mate 60 Pro smartphone has drawn the market’s attention, mainly because it is powered by a 7-nanometer chip made by China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC). The US and its allies are waging a chip war against China, elevating the chip rivalry from the corporate to the national level. The national security aspects of this issue make political propaganda Huawei’s main focus, so it can disregard considerations of commercial cost to incorporate advanced-process chips, which are generally defined as those on a scale of 7-nanometers or smaller. When the chip manufacturing process reaches the 7-nanometer stage, the next technological step is actually a giant hurdle. Despite China’s elevation of Huawei to the status of a national hero, a long and rocky path lies hidden behind the fog of political propaganda.
