Joe Biden Administration Review Chip Export Policy To China, Afraid Of Technology Stolen

JAKARTA - The administration of President Joe Biden is reviewing policies for the export of some semiconductor chips to China. This review is to ensure that advanced technological know-how does not end up in Beijing. This was explained by a high-ranking Commerce Department official during a congressional session on Thursday, July 14.

"I'm doing a full review of the policy ... right now," said Alan Estevez, Undersecretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, testifying at a Senate banking committee hearing on Thursday. "And there's also an interagency process looking into this. So there's a red line about what we allow the Chinese to access," Estevez said.

Estevez, whose bureau oversees restrictions on US exports to countries such as Russia and China, spoke of the cut-off points for the most sensitive semiconductors and the tools to get them allowed to be supplied to China.

The statement came in response to a question from Senator Steve Daine about current US efforts to prevent China from increasing its semiconductor production capabilities by stealing American intellectual property.