Key Points
- China plans to deliver the XiangShan processor, based on RISC-V, by 2025. The project aims to establish itself as “the Linux of processors.”
- XiangShan challenges perceptions of open-source processors as low-performance.
- RISC-V architecture helps China reduce reliance on foreign chip suppliers. U.S. regulatory efforts to curb RISC-V adoption face legal limitations.
- XiangShan has completed two processor versions, with a third in progress.
China’s top government research academy is accelerating efforts to bolster semiconductor self-reliance amid escalating U.S. trade restrictions. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has announced plans to deliver its open-source processor, XiangShan, in 2025. Developed under the RISC-V architecture, this initiative represents China’s commitment to advancing high-performance open-source chip technology.
Bao Yungang, deputy director of the CAS Institute of Computing Technology, says the XiangShan project, initiated in 2019, aims to establish itself as “the Linux of processors. ” During a 2024 Hot Chips semiconductor conference presentation, researchers highlighted XiangShan’s scalable applications, challenging the perception that open-source processors lack performance or quality.
China’s growing reliance on RISC-V, an open-source chip-design architecture, stems from its ability to offer customization and reduce dependence on foreign technology. High-profile adopters, such as Alibaba Group’s T-Head unit, have already integrated RISC-V-based chips into Alibaba Cloud’s data centers. However, U.S. lawmakers are reportedly exploring ways to limit RISC-V’s adoption, even as regulatory options remain constrained by RISC-V International’s non-profit status outside the U.S.
The XiangShan project has completed two design iterations—Yanqihu in 2021 and Nanhu in 2023—and is developing a third version, Kinminghu. Despite these advancements, the CAS team acknowledges a significant gap between their processors and mainstream industry standards.
Recent attention from U.S. hacker George Hotz, who praised XiangShan as the leading open-source CPU, has amplified its visibility and increased activity on its GitHub page. This ambitious project underlines China’s strategic push to counter U.S. dominance in the semiconductor sector while fostering innovation in open-source technologies.
