Latest news with #AscendAI
Bloomberg
12-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
US Says Huawei's 2025 Output Is No More Than 200,000 AI Chips
A senior Trump administration official projected that Huawei Technologies Co. 's output of its Ascend AI chip will be at or below 200,000 for 2025, responding to US lawmakers' concerns that China is gaining ground in production of advanced semiconductors. 'It's critical for us not to have a false sense of security, to understand that China is catching up quickly, but that is our projection for this year,' said Commerce Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler, who oversees the agency's export control programs. 'We shouldn't take too much comfort in the fact that China's production of these advanced chips is relatively small, because we know they have global ambitions.'
The Star
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Huawei founder Ren remains optimistic despite US curbs
Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. — Bloomberg BEIJING: The United States' restrictive policies against China are ironically catalysing China's technological advancements, say industry insiders, referring to the chip breakthroughs achieved by Huawei Technologies and the recent remarks of its founder Ren Zhengfei, who downplayed the impact of US export controls. In an interview with People's Daily that was published on Tuesday on the front page of the newspaper, Ren said that Huawei has no need to worry about chip challenges. In the face of external blockades and suppression, 'there is no need to think too much about difficulties; just take action and move forward step by step', he said. Ren outlined his company's pragmatic strategy for overcoming US technology restrictions, emphasising investment in and relentless execution of theoretical research. Addressing Washington's warnings about using Huawei's Ascend AI chips, he said: 'Many Chinese chip firms perform well. Huawei is just one of them. The United States overstates our achievements – we're still one generation behind in single-chip performance.' Ren made the remarks after Jensen Huang, CEO of US semiconductor company Nvidia, told Bloomberg in a recent interview that Huawei's AI chip technology, including the CloudMatrix cluster and Ascend 910C chip, now competes with Nvidia's high-end offerings such as Grace Blackwell and H200. Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Zhongguancun modern information consumer application industry technology alliance, a telecom industry association, said Huawei's achievements have demonstrated how the US restrictions are accelerating China's progress in chip technology. 'China's semiconductor industry, tempered by years of US sanctions, now boasts stronger prowess,' Xiang said. According to Huawei's founder Ren, the software-related challenges that China faces are manageable. 'Software is built on mathematical symbols, codes and layers of cutting-edge algorithms. There are no shackles here,' he said. 'The real challenge lies in our education system and talent development. In the future, China will have hundreds, or even thousands, of operating systems supporting its progress across industry, agriculture, healthcare and beyond,' he added. — China Daily/ANN
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US exaggerating Huawei's AI chip achievements, China state media quotes CEO as saying
BEIJING (Reuters) -The United States is exaggerating Huawei's achievements when it comes to the Ascend AI chip, the chief executive of China's Huawei Technologies said, according to Chinese state media. Huawei's founder Ren Zhengfei said the company uses group computing to supplement single chips, according to an article by the People's Daily on Tuesday. The U.S. Commerce Department last month published guidance warning that companies risked violating U.S. export controls by using Huawei's Ascend AI chips, the Shenzhen-based tech company's most advanced semiconductor series.
Los Angeles Times
09-06-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
New disputes emerge ahead of U.S.-China trade talks in London
BEIJING — U.S.-China trade talks in London this week are expected to take up a series of fresh disputes that have buffeted relations, threatening a fragile truce over tariffs. Both sides agreed in Geneva last month to a 90-day suspension of most of the 100%-plus tariffs they had imposed on each other in an escalating trade war that had sparked fears of recession. Since then, the U.S. and China have exchanged angry words about advanced semiconductors that power artificial intelligence, 'rare earths' that are vital to carmakers and other industries, and visas for Chinese students at American universities. President Trump spoke at length with Chinese leader Xi Jinping by phone Thursday in an attempt to put relations back on track. Trump announced on social media the next day that trade talks would be held Monday in London. The latest frictions began just a day after the May 12 announcement of the Geneva agreement to 'pause' tariffs for 90 days. The U.S. Commerce Department issued guidance saying the use of Ascend AI chips from Huawei, a leading Chinese tech company, could violate U.S. export controls. That's because the chips were probably developed with American technology despite restrictions on its export to China, the guidance said. The Chinese government wasn't pleased. One of its biggest beefs in recent years has been over U.S. moves to limit the access of Chinese companies to technology, and in particular to equipment and processes needed to produce the most advanced semiconductors. 'The Chinese side urges the U.S. side to immediately correct its erroneous practices,' a Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson said. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wasn't in Geneva but will join the talks in London. Analysts say that suggests at least a willingness on the U.S. side to hear out China's concerns on export controls. One area where China holds the upper hand is in the mining and processing of rare earths. They are crucial for not only autos but also other products such as robots and military equipment. The Chinese government started requiring producers to obtain a license to export seven rare-earth elements in April. Resulting shortages sent automakers worldwide into a tizzy. As stockpiles ran down, some worried they would have to halt production. Trump, without mentioning rare earths specifically, took to social media to attack China. 'The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US,' Trump posted on May 30. The Chinese government indicated Saturday that it is addressing the concerns, which have come from European companies as well. A Commerce Ministry statement said it had granted some approvals and 'will continue to strengthen the approval of applications that comply with regulations.' The scramble to resolve the rare-earth issue shows that China has a strong card to play if it wants to strike back against tariffs or other measures. Student visas don't normally figure in trade talks, but a U.S. announcement that it would begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students has emerged as another thorn in the relationship. The Chinese Commerce Ministry raised the issue when asked last week about the accusation that it had violated the consensus reached in Geneva. It replied that the U.S. had undermined the agreement by issuing export control guidelines for AI chips, stopping the sale of chip design software to China and saying it would revoke Chinese student visas. 'The United States has unilaterally provoked new economic and trade frictions,' the ministry said in a statement posted on its website. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a May 28 statement that the United States would 'aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.' More than 270,000 Chinese students studied in the U.S. in the 2023-24 academic year. Moritsugu writes for the Associated Press.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US suspends export licences for nuclear equipment suppliers selling to China
The US has halted the issuance of export licences for companies supplying nuclear equipment to China's power plants, amidst an escalating trade conflict between the two nations, as reported by Reuters. The suspensions were communicated by the Department of Commerce and impact licences for the export of parts and equipment essential for nuclear power operations. The decision is one among several measures in recent weeks that target supply chains between the two nations, reflecting a shift from tariff negotiations to direct action against each other's industries. Previously, both countries had agreed on 12 May 2025 to for the suspension of aggressive reciprocal tariffs for three months. However, this "ceasefire" quickly deteriorated as disagreements emerged over various issues. The US accused China of backtracking on commitments concerning rare earth elements, while China charged the US with "exploiting export control measures," particularly in relation to global usage warnings over Huawei's Ascend AI chips. President Trump announced that further talks are scheduled for 9 June following a breakdown in negotiations. Requests for comments on the new restrictions have not been addressed by the US Department of Commerce. On 28 May, a representative stated that exports deemed strategically significant to China were under review. "In some cases, Commerce has suspended existing export licenses or imposed additional license requirements while this review is ongoing," the spokesperson said. Companies such as Westinghouse and Emerson have yet not commented on how these suspensions might affect their global operations. Two sources told the media outlet that businesses stand to lose hundreds of millions due to these suspensions. Liu Pengyu, representative from the Chinese Embassy in Washington stated that during a call with Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted the importance of both parties honouring the agreement made in Geneva on 12 May. Liu mentioned in a statement on Friday 6 June that China has been 'earnestly' implementing the terms of the agreement and that "the US side should recognise progress made thus far and retract any adverse actions taken against China." "US suspends export licences for nuclear equipment suppliers selling to China " was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
