London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 30, 2026

China bans chipmaker Micron from key infrastructure projects as tech row with US escalates

China bans chipmaker Micron from key infrastructure projects as tech row with US escalates

The announcement from China comes after the G7 summit in Japan over the weekend, where US President Joe Biden said the group's leaders had agreed to "de-risk and diversify our relationship with China".
Beijing has stepped up its feud with Washington after announcing products made by US memory chip giant Micron Technology pose a national security risk.

China's cyberspace regulator said on Sunday that following a review it found Micron products have unspecified "serious network security risks" that are a hazard to the country's information infrastructure.

It told users of computer equipment to stop buying products from the US company.

"The review found that Micron's products have serious network security risks, which pose significant security risks to China's critical information infrastructure supply chain, affecting China's national security," the Cyberspace Administration of China said on its website.

CAC's statement did not provide further details of the risk or which Micron products were deemed a threat.

Micron said it had received the CAC's notice of the conclusion of its review of the company's products sold in China, and looked "forward to continuing to engage in discussions with Chinese authorities".

The US, Europe and Japan are reducing China's access to advanced chipmaking and other technology they believe could be used in weapons.

While they have warned of unspecified consequences, Chinese officials appear to be struggling to find ways to retaliate without hurting the country's own smartphone producers and other industries.

Micron makes DRAM and NAND flash memory chips and competes with South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and SK Hynix Inc, as well as Japan's Kioxia, a unit of Toshiba Corp.

Impact on Micron will be 'limited'

The company would experience limited impact by the latest announcement, according to Jefferies analysts, as its major customers in China are consumer electronics firms such as smartphone and computer manufacturers, not infrastructure suppliers.

"Since Micron's DRAM and NAND products are much less in servers, we believe most of its revenue in China is not generated from telcos and the government. Therefore, the ultimate impact on Micron will be quite limited," they said.

However, the company generated $5.2bn (£4.1bn) of revenue from China and Hong Kong last year, around 16% of its total revenue.

An official review of Micron under China's increasingly stringent information security laws was announced last month, hours after Japan joined Washington in imposing restrictions on Chinese access to technology to make processor chips on security grounds.

Last week, Micron announced a plan to invest up to 500 billion yen (£2.9bn) in Japan in extreme ultraviolet technology, becoming the first chipmaker to bring advanced chip manufacturing technology to the country that is now seeking to reinvigorate its chip sector.

The timing of the CAC's announcement was significant, as US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that G7 nations had agreed to "de-risk and diversify our relationship with China". They also agreed to establish an initiative to counter economic "coercion" during the summit in Hiroshima, Japan, over the weekend.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in his address at the summit that China poses the biggest challenge in the world to global security.

He said China was the "only country with both the means and intent to reshape the world order".
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Early-Release Scheme Faces Fresh Scrutiny as Reoffending and Prison Recalls Rise
Police Phone Checks Followed Report on Murder of MI5 Agent Inside Sinn Féin
Drought Status Extended Across All of Wales as Heat and Dry Weather Deepen Environmental Strain
Record-Low Danube Exposes Probable Mammoth Remains in Bulgaria
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
The chief executive of the popular gaming company laid off many employees and his pay rose to 38 million dollars
UK Employment Holds Steady as Wage Growth Remains Moderate
England to Introduce Artificial Intelligence into Secondary School Curriculum
Wales Launches £1.2 Billion Industrial Regeneration Programme
High Court Upholds UK Digital Surveillance Framework
Northern Ireland Reaches Budget Agreement on Infrastructure and Public Sector Pay
Home Office Expands Digital Border Checks Nationwide
UK Approves Major North Sea Wind and Carbon Capture Project
The World's Most Terrifying Smartphone: Recording, Documenting, and Reporting to the Regime
Scotland Approves Major Renewable Energy Expansion
UK and United States Sign AI and Semiconductor Cooperation Pact
UK Treasury Tightens Fiscal Controls After Gilt Market Volatility
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 4.5%
UK Unveils £10 Billion NHS Funding Overhaul and Workforce Reform
The AI User Nightmare: Private Claude Conversations Leaked to the Internet
UK: Former Football Association Leaders Call for World Cup Boycott Over FIFA Privatization Plan
Forbidden Love: China severs millions from their virtual partners
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Prince Harry Faces Significant Legal Costs After Insurance Shortfall
FirstGroup Sells Rail Software Business to Tracsis for £48 Million
Victoria and Albert Museum Staff Vote for Strike Action
Norwegian Teenager Convicted Over Contract Killing Plot in Britain
Royal Mail Raises Bulk Mailing Prices by 30%
Immigration Remains Britain's Top Public Concern, Ipsos Survey Finds
Prime Minister Says Social Care Reform Must Precede Assisted Dying Legislation
Ofgem Proposes Steep Grid Connection Charges for New Data Centers
Major Cyberattack Compromises UK Education and Police Data
Government Reviews Jurisdiction Over Crimes Involving US Military Personnel
England Declares Widespread Drought After Record Dry July
UK Commits £8.4 Billion to Dreadnought Nuclear Submarine Program
Zuckerberg Opposes US Ban on Chinese AI Models and Warns of Regulatory Capture
Massive Wildfires Ravage Southern Europe: Fatalities in Greece and Evacuations Across France, Spain, and Turkey
NHS Leaders Warn Royal Mail Tariff Increases Will Raise Administrative Costs
Immigration Remains the Public's Top Concern in Britain, Ipsos Poll Finds
Britain Approves 16 New Grid Storage Projects to Strengthen Electricity Network
London-Listed Merger Activity Climbs Even as IPO Market Remains Weak
Institute of Directors Warns High Energy Costs and Taxes Continue to Weigh on UK Businesses
North Sea Industry Calls for Faster Approval of £10 Billion Rosebank and Jackdaw Projects
UK Inflation Eases to 2.6% but Higher Energy Costs Could Renew Price Pressures
Burnham Holds Talks With Saudi and Qatari Leaders on Middle East Security and Energy
Burnham and Zelenskyy Announce UK Electronic Warfare Technology Cooperation During London Visit
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Launches Cross-Party Push for Social Care Reform in England
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
×