As a US trade delegation heads to Beijing for talks starting Thursday, China’s race to catch up to the United States in technology looms large. Chips are among China’s biggest imports, rivaling oil, and have become a stark reminder of its dependence on American technology. China must rely on itself for core technologies, President Xi Jinping told scientists when visiting an IT firm last week. China relies on foreign imports for 80 percent of its chips, which Beijing intends to change. A decade ago, Beijing lavished funding on a breakthrough in domestic chip production called the “China chip”.

Source: Manila Times May 02, 2018 16:18 UTC