China Speeds Ahead on Semiconductor Technology

The South China Morning Post reports that China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), based in Shanghai, has advanced further and faster than previously thought, likely having learned to produce microchips at the 7 nm level, a new milestone for Chinese semiconductor production. While there are two other companies that are slightly ahead of SMIC—Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and Samsung in S. Korea—which are able to produce at the smaller 5 nm level, SMIC is shocking the industry at the speed of its gains, and is likely only one or two generations of technology behind the others.