How high-end semiconductor chips threaten US-China relations : The Indicator from Planet Money : NPR
NPRWhy the US cut China off from advanced chips Enlarge this image AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Advanced semiconductor chips power the kind of artificial intelligence used in supercomputers, self-driving cars and the military. The United States has been and remains the epicenter of microchip innovation, though the Chinese government has high ambitions for its country to take the number one spot. On October 7, though, just a couple of weeks before Xi Jinping is expected to be reappointed as China's leader, the US government announced a broad ban blocking China's access to make or buy advanced semiconductor chips. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.