Latest news with #AscendChips
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Tech war: Huawei founder Ren says state-of-the-art chip performance can be achieved
Ren Zhengfei, the founder of Chinese technology giant Huawei Technologies , said the company's Ascend chips are still lagging behind those from the US 'by a generation', but state-of-the-art performance can still be achieved by using other tactics. Advertisement In a front page interview published on Tuesday with People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party, Ren said by using methods like 'stacking and clustering, the computing results are comparable' to the most advanced programmes in the world. Huawei has patented some techniques to package chiplets on top of each other to make processors smaller. It was the first time that Ren spoke about the effects of US sanctions since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. His comments echoed a view that Washington has failed to arrest China's technological advances, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). People visit Huawei's Ascend AI booth during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 4, 2024. Photo: AP He said China has many advantages in developing AI, including 'hundreds of millions of young people' in addition to 'sufficient electricity and a developed information network'. 'China's power generation and power grid transmission are very good, and the communication network is the most developed in the world,' Ren said. 'In terms of software, there will be hundreds of open source software [programmes] in the future to meet the needs of the entire society,' he said. Advertisement The interview was published at a time when Washington is ramping up its restrictions on China and Huawei Technologies is in the eye of the storm. In May, the US Department of Commerce published new guidance saying the use of Ascend chips 'anywhere in the world' could be interpreted as a violation of American export controls.
Wall Street Journal
21-05-2025
- Wall Street Journal
Beijing Says U.S. Huawei Comments Undermine Trade Deal
The U.S. alleges that certain high-end Huawei Ascend chips were likely developed illegally with U.S. technology. (Andy Wong/AP)
South China Morning Post
16-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Tech war: US curbs on global use of Huawei chips add uncertainty to China's AI investment
New US guidelines on the use of Huawei Technologies ' Ascend chips have introduced fresh uncertainty into China's investment spree in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, according to analysts and industry insiders. Under new guidance issued by the US Commerce Department earlier this week, the use of Ascend chips 'anywhere in the world' could be interpreted as a violation of American export controls. This puts Chinese companies investing heavily in computing infrastructure in a difficult position. On one hand, they have been denied access to cutting-edge AI processors from US chipmaker Nvidia . On the other hand, they risk penalties from the US, ranging from fines to imprisonment, for using domestic alternatives such as Huawei's 910B, 910C and 910D Ascend chips. The US move was an 'extraterritorial regulatory measure', said Ray Wang, a Washington-based analyst focused on the US-China tech war. He noted that the ruling could deter Chinese firms with global ambitions from using Huawei processors because they fear violating US regulations. A Huawei inference server seen at a tech fair in Hong Kong. Photo: Reuters Chinese AI companies may encounter compliance risks if they continue using Ascend chips, according to a research note released by Shanghai-based consultancy ICWise on Friday.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
China blasts new US rule banning use of Huawei's Ascend advanced computer chips
China has blasted a new U.S. rule against use of Ascend computer chips made by Huawei Technologies anywhere in the world, chafing Thursday against the limitations of a temporary truce in the trade war between the two biggest economies. Beijing moved ahead, however, with fulfilling its promise to lift retaliatory measures it imposed after U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his trade war, raising tariffs on Chinese products to as high as 145%. One key action was to remove a ban on exports to the United States of minerals known as rare earths that are used in many high-tech products. Despite the deal struck last weekend in Geneva, frictions remain. Earlier this week, the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security issued guidance saying that Huawei's Ascend semiconductors are subject to U.S. export controls, on the basis that they are thought to employ U.S. technology. 'These chips were likely developed or produced in violation of U.S. export controls,' it said in a statement on its website, adding that 'the use of such PRC advanced computing ICs risks violating U.S. export controls and may subject companies to BIS enforcement action.' China's Commerce Ministry responded that the move was "not conducive to long-term, mutually beneficial, and sustainable cooperation and development between the two countries. The Chinese side urges the U.S. side to immediately correct its erroneous practices,' said ministry spokesperson He Yongqian. Huawei's Ascend chip is central to China's effort to build its own capacity to build leading edge computer chips and other technologies. Analysts say use of the chip in China's DeepSeek artificial intelligence effort reflects a potential challenge for Nvidia in the global AI market. He also lashed out against U.S. tariffs on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum, which have not gotten a reprieve after Beijing and Washington agreed to their pause in many tariff increases. She said the U.S. should give up its use of Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which gives the president power to impose tariffs on other countries on national security grounds. In February, Trump drew on that authority to restore 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum that he had imposed during his first term in office. Speaking at a weekly ministry briefing, He urged the US to end the higher tariffs 'as soon as possible." The 30% levy that America is now imposing on Chinese goods includes an existing 20% tariff intended to pressure China into doing more to prevent the the synthetic opioid fentanyl from entering the United States. It also includes the same 10% 'baseline'' tariff Trump has slapped on imports from most of the world's countries. The 30% tax comes on top of other levies on China, including some left over from Trump's first term and kept by former President Joe Biden. China is imposing a 10% tariff on U.S. products during the 90-day negotiating period.
