Key Points
- China has built a secret prototype of an advanced EUV machine needed to make cutting-edge AI chips.
- The machine was reportedly created through reverse engineering of technology from the Dutch firm ASML.
- The U.S. has banned the sale of these machines to China, fearing it would give Beijing a technological and military advantage.
- The breakthrough suggests China is closer to achieving semiconductor independence than previously thought.
In a high-security lab in Shenzhen, Chinese scientists have built a prototype of a machine that the U.S. has spent years trying to keep out of their hands. The massive machine is a copy of the cutting-edge technology used to make the world’s most advanced semiconductor chips—the kind that power everything from AI to advanced weapons.
The breakthrough, which Reuters is reporting for the first time, is a major step in China’s quest for technological independence. The prototype, now undergoing testing, was reportedly built by reverse-engineering machines made by the Dutch giant ASML, the only company in the world that has mastered this technology.
These “EUV” machines use extreme ultraviolet light to etch microscopic circuits onto silicon wafers. The U.S. has successfully pressured the Netherlands to block its sale to China, fearing it would give Beijing a military and technological edge.
While the new Chinese prototype is not yet producing working chips, its existence suggests China is years closer to its goal than many Western analysts believed.
The secret project, which sources described as China’s version of the “Manhattan Project,” is one of President Xi Jinping’s highest priorities. Tech giant Huawei is playing a key role, and the effort involves thousands of engineers, many of whom were reportedly recruited from ASML with huge signing bonuses.
China’s goal is to kick the U.S. “100% out of its supply chains.” While major technical hurdles remain, this secret project is a clear sign that the global tech Cold War has entered a dangerous new phase.
