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Asia Times
10-03-2025
- Business
- Asia Times
China all in on RISC-V open-source chip design
It's 'RISC on' in China. The Chinese government plans to promote the nationwide use of open-source RISC-V integrated circuit (IC) design standards under new guidelines that may be announced in the next few weeks, Reuters reported. China's Cyberspace Administration, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology and National Intellectual Property Administration are all reportedly involved, according to the Reuters report. If so, it would give a big push forward to a trend that has been gathering pace for several years now and a big pushback against the US government, which, under presidents Trump 1.0, Biden and Trump 2.0, has consistently sought to police the global semiconductor industry and stifle its development in China. Hong Kong's government is also promoting RISC-V (pronounced 'risk-five') to make a place for itself as one of China's IC design centers. The establishment of a Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute will complement the policy. Writing under the headline 'The Role of RISC-V in Shaping the Future' in EE Times, Frankwell Lin, CEO of Taiwan's Andes Technology, noted that: AI's expanding influence – spanning applications like voice recognition, imaging, and natural language processing – underscores the critical role of advanced semiconductors. RISC-V, with its open architecture and highly programmable architecture, is revolutionizing AI accelerators, enabling them to handle inference-heavy workloads more efficiently than fixed-function counterparts. This flexibility positions RISC-V as a linchpin in the evolution of high-performance computing (HPC), addressing the rapidly evolving demands of AI applications. Lin also points out that: RISC-V's momentum extends beyond AI, finding applications in EVs, IoT, and 5G. Its ability to foster innovation through an open architecture not only drives technical breakthroughs but also disrupts traditional business models, making it an essential technology for economic growth and recovery across these sectors. In January, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced that its XiangShan RISC-V processor will be ready this year, with modification to support AI dynamo DeepSeek. Xiangshan is' the world's top-performing open-source processor core,' according to CAS. The XiangShan project was launched in 2019 to develop a high-performance RISC-V processor 'with a focus on regular updates and improvements to the processor's design, performance, and power efficiency,' in the words of TechRadar. The Beijing Institute of Open Source Chip was created to support the project. In February, Alibaba announced that it will start shipments of its newest RISC-V processor, a server-grade CPU, to customers this month. Alibaba, which plans to invest more than US$50 billion in AI and cloud computing over the next three years, recently announced a new AI model that it claims outperforms DeepSeek. RISC-V is an open standard instruction set architecture based on Reduced Instruction Set Computer design principles. A free, non-proprietary platform for the development of IC processors, it is an ideal way for the Chinese (or anyone else) to develop an alternative to the proprietary semiconductor technologies of America's Arm, Intel, Nvidia and other Western firms that are subject to US government export controls. The RISC-V concept was conceived at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2010. The RISC-V Foundation was established in 2015 to support and manage the technology, with the Institute of Computing Technologies of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as one of its founders. A China RISC-V Alliance was established in 2018 with the goal of creating a complete open-source computing ecosystem by 2030. Also in 2018, the city of Shanghai introduced financial incentives for RISC-V development and Chinese RISC-V specialist StarFive was founded with the support of SiFive, the technology leader headquartered in Santa Clara. In 2020, the RISC-V Foundation was incorporated in Switzerland as the RISC-V International Association, moving out of the United States to avoid potential disruption caused by then-president Donald Trump's China trade war policies. US policymakers and politicians would like to use export controls to limit China's use of the technology, but indications are it is too late for that. China already accounts for about 50% of RISC-V core shipment volumes. Several Chinese companies are 'premier' members of RISC-V International, including Alibaba Cloud, Huawei, ZTE, Tencent and semiconductor products and services supplier Beijing ESWIN. Andes Technology, Google, Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Synopsis and SiFive are also premium members. The least well-known of the premier member Chinese companies, ESWIN, has R&D centers in Beijing, Shanghai, seven other Chinese cities, South Korea and the UK; manufacturing plants in Xi'an and Chengdu; and sales offices in Qingdao, Shenzhen, nine other Chinese cities, South Korea, Japan and the US. Altogether, the RISC-V International Association has 24 'premier' members, 166 'strategic' members, and 205 'community' members in Europe, Asia and the Americas, according to the RISC-V website. The fourth annual RISC-V Summit China was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, last August, where more than 100 companies, research institutions and open-source technology communities participated. Ranking with similar events in Europe and North America, it attracted some 3,000 domestic and foreign attendees and about half a million viewers online. These developments are being followed closely by tech companies, consulting firms and government officials in the US. In December 2023, the Jamestown Foundation, a conservative research and analysis consultancy following national security-related trends from Washington, DC, wrote that: China's engagement with RISC-V is a testament to its strategic foresight and ambition to reshape the semiconductor industry, challenging long-established norms and power structures. The increasing influence of Chinese entities in the RISC-V International Foundation is a clear indicator of China's intention to steer the direction of RISC-V development. This shift in control away from the United States is not merely about technological advancement but about altering the global tech order. China sees RISC-V as an opportunity to enhance its self-innovation capabilities, foster self-sufficiency, and navigate the complexities of increasing geopolitical tensions. Follow this writer on X: @ScottFo83517667
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hong Kong embraces RISC-V open-source chip design to secure spot in China semiconductors
Hong Kong is betting on the RISC-V open-source chip architecture to drive innovation and secure a position in China's semiconductor landscape amid escalating US chip restrictions. The city, which is planning to host the International Young Scientist Forum on Artificial Intelligence, is promoting research in AI and open-source technology, particularly RISC-V, Finance Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in his 2025 budget address on Wednesday. RISC-V stands for the fifth generation of the Reduced Instruction Set Computer, a design philosophy for simplified architectures for central processing units (CPUs). As an open-source project, it is free for anyone to use and modify, unlike competing standards such as Intel's x86, a complex instruction set that dominates personal computers, and Arm's eponymous proprietary RISC-inspired architecture, which dominates the smartphone market. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. First developed in 2010 by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, RISC-V is now managed by RISC-V International, a Zurich-based non-profit organisation. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po delivers the Budget 2025-26 speech in the Legco chamber on February 26. Photo: Elson Li alt=Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po delivers the Budget 2025-26 speech in the Legco chamber on February 26. Photo: Elson Li> While not nearly as widely used as x86 or Arm, RISC-V has been rapidly gaining traction because of its open-source code base. This has been especially true in mainland China, where the government and businesses hope it can reduce reliance on foreign proprietary technology amid an intense tech war with the US. Last month, a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), a top government research organisation, announced that it would deliver its RISC-V-based XiangShan CPU this year. The team said earlier this month it had adapted XiangShan to support DeepSeek-R1, the popular open-source reasoning large language model developed by Hangzhou-based AI start-up DeepSeek. China is doubling down on RISC-V this year, with several large conferences based around the technology. Shanghai will host a RISC-V summit in July, the city announced earlier this week. The Beijing Institute of Open Source Chip, the CAS-backed XiangShan developer, is hosting a RISC-V ecosystem conference in the Chinese capital on Thursday, followed by a RISC-V conference on Friday organised by Damo Academy, Alibaba Group Holding's research arm that develops the XuanTie RISC-V processors. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. China's RISC-V push has alarmed US lawmakers, who last year called for a review of the national security risks associated with China's advancements in the area, potentially making it a new front in the chip war. However, regulatory options for the US to restrain China in this field are "limited", according to a November report from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, which noted that RISC-V International operates outside the US. Hong Kong's ambitions to gain a foothold in RISC-V come amid efforts to become an innovation and technology hub, and play a greater role in China's technological development. Last year, the city said it was setting up its first production line for gallium nitride (GaN) wafers, a third-generation semiconductor material that offers advantages over traditional silicon-based semiconductors, including greater energy efficiency and reduced size. Related manufacturing equipment for this tech currently faces fewer US restrictions. RISC-V represents a "transformative opportunity" for China to achieve technological independence and to lead in semiconductor innovation, said Chan Jun-yu, a partner at Wings Capital Ventures, a Hong Kong-based venture capital fund. "Hong Kong can contribute to China's RISC-V ecosystem by attracting global applications, fostering international partnerships and serving as a hub for talent and investment," Chan said. Hong Kong's initiative to develop semiconductors, the "most important component" in all electronics products, could help the city contribute to China's needs and "solidify" its status as an international hub for innovation and technology, said Edmond Lai, chief digital officer at the Hong Kong Productivity Council. RISC-V is attractive because of its openness, flexibility and low cost, he added. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
South China Morning Post
27-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong embraces RISC-V open-source chip design to secure spot in China semiconductors
Hong Kong is betting on the RISC-V open-source chip architecture to drive innovation and secure a position in China's semiconductor landscape amid escalating US chip restrictions. Advertisement The city, which is planning to host the International Young Scientist Forum on Artificial Intelligence , is promoting research in AI and open-source technology, particularly RISC-V, Finance Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in his 2025 budget address on Wednesday. RISC-V stands for the fifth generation of the Reduced Instruction Set Computer, a design philosophy for simplified architectures for central processing units (CPUs). As an open-source project, it is free for anyone to use and modify, unlike competing standards such as Intel's x86, a complex instruction set that dominates personal computers, and Arm's eponymous proprietary RISC-inspired architecture, which dominates the smartphone market. First developed in 2010 by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, RISC-V is now managed by RISC-V International, a Zurich-based non-profit organisation. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po delivers the Budget 2025-26 speech in the Legco chamber on February 26. Photo: Elson Li While not nearly as widely used as x86 or Arm, RISC-V has been rapidly gaining traction because of its open-source code base. This has been especially true in mainland China, where the government and businesses hope it can reduce reliance on foreign proprietary technology amid an intense tech war with the US. Advertisement Last month, a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), a top government research organisation, announced that it would deliver its RISC-V-based XiangShan CPU this year. The team said earlier this month it had adapted XiangShan to support DeepSeek-R1, the popular open-source reasoning large language model developed by Hangzhou-based AI start-up DeepSeek.
