Technology AI, Science and New Things
The European Commission is braced for an argument between free traders and protectionists about which technologies to withhold from China. A draft proposal published today would ban the export of advanced chips, most AI-related tech, quantum computing and communications technologies and a range of biotechnologies including certain genetic modification techniques. China isn’t mentioned by name in the document but is clearly its focus. One official who worked on it tells Politico China is “the EU’s Voldemort”, which shall not be named. EU restrictions on sensitive tech exports will clearly have an effect. Manufacturers of high-end chip-making machines like ASML, based in the Netherlands, have already shown they’re willing to abide by US-imposed export bans. That being so there’s an element of catch-up about the EU proposal – and possibly of futility, in that China is adept at sourcing all the technological innovation it needs from more willing partners. Case in point: Bloomberg reports today that Taiwanese companies are helping Huawei build a network of next gen chip plants across mainland China. Taiwan had better hope the chips aren’t used in guided missiles.
