US-China Tech War Heats Up As US Moves to Restrict Cloud Access

WebProNews
US-China Tech War Heats Up As US Moves to Restrict Cloud Access

The US is ramping up its efforts to restrict China’s access to advanced technology, with plans to limit its access to US cloud services.

US officials have been trying for several years to restrict China’s access to advanced tech, with much of that effort revolving around semiconductors. The US has also pressured its allies to enact similar restrictions.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration is preparing to expand those efforts to include cloud services. In particular, US officials are concerned with cloud services that provide access to advanced AI chips.

While Chinese companies are already restricted from accessing those chips directly, US officials are seeking to close a loophole where those companies could use such chips by simply subscribing to cloud services.

“If any Chinese company wanted access to Nvidia A100, they could do that from any cloud service provider. That’s totally legal,” Emily Weinstein, a research fellow at Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology, told WSJ.

China has been increasingly pushing back against US efforts. China’s foreign minister recently tried to pressure his Dutch counterpart over the Netherlands’ decision to restrict China’s access to chips from ASML.

China has also signaled that it may begin banning exports of rare Earth elements that the West relies on, such as those used in EV batteries. China has also banned chips from US company Micron Technology.

If US officials proceed with their plans to restrict cloud access, it’s a safe bet that China will ramp up its own retaliation.

US-China Tech War Heats Up As US Moves to Restrict Cloud Access
Matt Milano

from WebProNews https://ift.tt/nHQpVge