We are talking about restrictions on the supply of ASML machines to China
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping told the Prime Minister of the Netherlands that restrictions on the supply of modern ASML machines will not be able to restrain the development of the Middle Kingdom.
The other day, Xi Jinping visited the Netherlands and met with Prime Minister Mark Rutte. There they discussed restrictions related to US sanctions, and Xi Jinping said that creating scientific and technological barriers and fragmenting industrial and supply chains would only lead to division and confrontation.
The Chinese people also have the right to legitimate development, and no force can stop the pace of China's scientific and technological development and progress
In 2023, the Netherlands introduced export licensing requirements for the sale of equipment capable of producing advanced processor chips, which was a consequence of US sanctions policy towards China. As a result, now the Dutch company ASML, which is the only manufacturer in the world of machines that use extreme ultraviolet lithography for the production of modern semiconductors, cannot supply modern installations to China for the production of chips using current technical processes. Let us remind you that the Chinese SMIC was able to launch production at 7 nm standards on old ASML machines and is allegedly ready to begin production of even 5 nm products. But, firstly, such products are much more expensive than those produced by world giants using a similar technical process, and secondly, according to experts, it will simply be impossible to advance beyond 5 nm SMIC on old equipment.