In an intensifying conflict with the United States over technology and security, the Chinese government has issued a statement advising users to refrain from buying products from Micron Technology Inc., the largest U.S. memory chipmaker. The Cyberspace Administration of China claimed that Micron products possess unspecified “serious network security risks” that could jeopardize China’s information infrastructure and national security. However, no specific details were provided in the agency’s brief announcement.
The agency explicitly stated that operators of critical information infrastructure in China should cease purchasing Micron products. This move comes as tensions continue to rise between China and major global powers like the United States, Europe, and Japan, who have been imposing restrictions on Chinese access to advanced chipmaking technology due to concerns of potential military application. China’s government, in turn, has issued warnings of unspecified consequences but is struggling to find retaliatory measures that won’t harm its own industries, particularly smartphone producers and efforts to develop domestic processor chip suppliers.
The review of Micron under China’s increasingly stringent information security laws was initiated in early April, shortly after Japan joined the U.S. in imposing restrictions on Chinese technology access for security reasons. Meanwhile, foreign companies operating in China have been unsettled by recent police raids on consulting and due diligence firms. Though Chinese authorities have not provided explanations for these raids, they maintain that foreign companies must comply with the country’s laws.
The announcement made on Sunday seems to aim at reassuring foreign companies, with the cyberspace agency emphasizing China’s commitment to opening up to the outside world and welcoming enterprises and products from various countries as long as they comply with Chinese laws and regulations.
While tensions persist between the U.S. and China, Beijing has been cautious in its retaliatory actions, likely to avoid disrupting industries crucial to its economy, such as smartphone assembly. However, the conflict raises concerns about the potential decoupling of global technology standards, which could result in separate technological spheres and hinder innovation.
With relations between the two nations at their lowest point in decades due to a range of contentious issues, including security disputes, Hong Kong, treatment of Muslim ethnic minorities, territorial conflicts, and trade imbalances, the China-Micron feud adds further strain to the already tense U.S.-Chinese relationship.