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Sunday, October 29, 2023

US can’t halt SMIC, Huawei’s tech advances, chip guru says

 

 A Kirin 9000s chip fabricated in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), taken from a Huawei Mate X5 foldable smartphone, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Sept 19. Huawei's Kirin 9000s processor supports 5G wireless speeds, TechInsights said, dispelling some of the mystery around the Chinese company's latest devices.

The US won’t be able to stop Chinese firms including Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) and Huawei Technologies Co from making progress in chip technology, according to one of the semiconductor industry’s leading figures.

SMIC and Huawei, which stunned Washington by unveiling a made-in-China phone processor, can use existing older machines to make even more sophisticated silicon, said Burn J Lin, a former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) vice-president. SMIC should be able to advance to the next generation at five nanometres with machines from ASML Holding NV that it already operates, said Lin, who at TSMC championed the lithography technology that transformed chipmaking.

Huawei electrified the chip industry when it unveiled a 7nm processor made by SMIC in the Mate 60 Pro, triggering celebration in China and accusations in the US that a campaign to contain the country’s tech ascent had failed. 

And Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC) is now also producing some of the most advanced memory chips in the industry. In October, the Biden administration tightened existing curbs to close loopholes through which the country may be accessing advanced American gear, marking a new phase in a struggle to influence technologies crucial to the economic and political balance.

But that may not stop China’s technological ascent, said Lin, who’s highly regarded in the industry for being the first person to propose immersion lithography, the technology that ASML’s core products rely on.

SMIC used ASML’s immersion lithography machines to make the 7nm chip for Huawei. Beyond trying to reach the 5nm milestone, it’s likely China will experiment with new materials or advanced chip packaging to make more powerful semiconductors, Lin said. Shares in SMIC gained as much as 5.8% in Hong Kong, their biggest gain in about two weeks.

“It is just not possible for the US to completely prevent China from improving its chip technology,” Lin said in an interview this week at the National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, where he serves as dean of the semiconductor research college. That echoed comments from Arm Holdings plc boss Rene Haas this month.

“What the US really should do is to focus on maintaining its chip design leadership instead of trying to limit China’s progress, which is futile as China is adopting a whole nation strategy to boost its chip industry, and hurting the global economy,” Lin added.

In fact, the US may have inadvertently granted SMIC a golden opportunity, he argued.

In 2020, Washington effectively banned TSMC — the supplier of the world’s most advanced silicon to Apple Inc and Nvidia Corp — from doing business with Huawei. That’s when SMIC stepped up to inherit the massive orders that helped it improve its manufacturing technique, Lin said. Representatives at SMIC and YMTC did not respond to requests for comment.

A debate is now raging in the US and beyond about whether Washington and its allies should step up their Chinese containment campaign. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has said Washington doesn’t have evidence China can make advanced chips “at scale”. But Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez said it’s “absolutely” a concern for Washington that the Asian nation could use 7nm technology — or better — in military applications.

Industry analysts including Haitong International Securities’s Jeff Pu have estimated that Huawei could build as many as 70 million smartphones using its own Kirin chips in 2024 — not insignificant compared to the roughly 220 million iPhones that Apple Inc ships annually.

In another area of concern for Washington, China is also charging ahead on memory chips — a more commoditised type of silicon than processors but still critical in everything from smartphones and artificial intelligence training servers to military drones.

Canadian research firm TechInsights Inc discovered an advanced chip made by Yangtze Memory in a solid state drive launched around July — months after US curbs announced last year forced foreign equipment suppliers to sever ties with the Chinese semiconductor company.

TechInsights, which unearthed SMIC’s and Huawei’s 7nm chip through a joint investigation with Bloomberg News, found the 232-layer quad-level cell 3D NAND die during a routine device teardown, calling it one of the most advanced it had seen.

“YMTC is quietly developing advanced technology despite being hampered by issues following sanctions,” TechInsights said in a blog post on Tuesday. 

“Evidence is mounting that China’s momentum to overcome trade restrictions and build its own domestic semiconductor supply chain is more successful than expected.”

By Debby Wu / Bloomberg


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Saturday, October 28, 2023

Govt has ‘duty’ to accept English but Official letters not in BM will be returned, can the return improves the weak ringgit and brain drain: Grand plans for Malaysians working in Singapore

SIBU: The Federal Government is obligated to accept letters that are written in English in official communications from Sarawak, says state Deputy Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister Michael Tiang.

“The Federal Government, in fact, has a duty to entertain English letters from Sarawak for official communications, as the National Language Act 1963/67 was never extended to Sarawak,” he said in a statement yesterday.


“Sarawakians are therefore free to opt to use English or Malay for letters to federal government departments since both languages are official languages in Sarawak.

“Particularly the use of the English language in Sarawak which is guaranteed by Article 161(3) of the Federal Constitution.”

ALSO READ: Federal Govt must accept official correspondence in English, says Sarawak minister

He was responding to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s directive to all government departments and universities not to entertain any letters written in languages other than Bahasa Malaysia.

Tiang, who is also Pelawan assemblyman, reminded the Prime Minister that English and Malay are official languages in Sarawak.

In KOTA KINABALU, Deputy State Secretary (Development) Datuk Dr Ahemad Sade said Sabah will keep to its optional use of English in all its official correspondence until decided otherwise by the state leadership.

“This (directive) was announced by the Federal Government, so we will look at it in detail,” he said after an event yesterday.

The question of whether to follow this policy, he said, will be discussed in a meeting with the state leadership closer to or after the state assembly meeting scheduled for the end of next month.

ALSO READ: Sabah keeping to optional use of English in correspondence until further notice

“For the time being, both Malay and English can be used,” he added.

Former Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak, who is Usukan assemblyman, said new policies should be coordinated with Sabah and Sarawak before being implemented.

He said that this is to ensure a smooth implementation while also bringing benefits to all.

“It cannot be denied that Malay is our national language, and we welcome this new policy (directive on all-Malay letters).

“But the importance of English also can’t be questioned,” he said during an excellence in education event in the Kota Belud district yesterday.

Another former chief minister, Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, said the policy could be detrimental to economic development.

LSO READ: Provide an early foundation in English

He noted that some government departments, by necessity and the nature of their work, must communicate in English.

“English is the lingua franca of international trade, communication and diplomacy.

“I am not only referring to Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry) but also to agencies like the Malaysia Industrial Development Authority, Malaysia Trade Agency and Bank Negara.

“Returning incoming mail that is written in languages other than Bahasa Malaysia will also send a negative message to the international community.

“It will suggest that Malaysia is not open to foreign investment or trade and that it is not interested in collaborating with other countries,” he said in a statement.

Parti Warisan deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking said the directive should not have been issued arbitrarily but only carried out after seeking the feedback and consensus of the Sabah and Sarawak governments

Friday, October 27, 2023

Grand plans for Malaysians working in Singapore

 

All-time high: The Singapore dollar surged to a new high against the ringgit two days ago. - Thomas Yong/The Star


JOHOR BARU: Many Malaysians working across the Causeway are planning holidays and home renovations as the Singapore dollar surged to a new high against the ringgit.

Jason Wong, 27, said he felt that his decision to cross the border daily to work was the right one as he now has more cash in hand due to the strong currency exchange rate of S$1 to RM3.50.

“One by one, many of my peers and relatives had gone to Singapore for work, which led to my decision to do the same. I started working there in March after finding it difficult to get a stable job in Johor Baru.“I start my commute at around 6am and reach home after 8pm every day. It is tiring but the exchange rate makes it worthwhile. I can give more money to my elderly parents now that I have extra disposable income,” he told The Star.

Wong added that he was also saving to take his parents on a holiday for the first time next year.

The Singapore dollar shot to a new high of 3.5086 against the ringgit on Tuesday morning.

Ardy Zainuddin, 33, who works as a purchasing executive in Singapore, was happy to have extra money to renovate his new home here.

“My wife and I have just got the keys to our new house and with a second baby on the way, anything extra is welcome,” said Ardy, who has been commuting across the border for work for the past five years.

However, he hopes that the Malaysian government would come up with policies to strengthen the ringgit.

“The strong Singapore-Malaysia currency exchange is good for those working across the border, but I am concerned that the weakening ringgit will make things more expensive for other Malaysians.

“My relatives living in Johor and Melaka have been complaining that it is costly to eat out or even cook at home. They are also hesitant to travel overseas because of the weak ringgit,” he added.

Checks by The Star at several popular money changers in the city found that they were well-stocked with the ringgit to cater to the expected higher demand.

A money changer who only wanted to be known as Wan said, “This is the first time I have seen the ringgit dip so low against the Singapore dollar in my 10 years of being in the industry.

When the exchange rate was S$1 to RM3.41 in May, our business rose by about 30% as those working across the border as well as Singaporeans rushed to buy the ringgit in large quantities,” she said.


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