Huawei Booth at MWC 2024. (Photo by Correspondent Shin Jung-hoon)

 

 

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] China’s largest IT company, Huawei, has reportedly circumvented U.S. sanctions by using shell companies to secure over 2 million AI chips manufactured by Taiwan's TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company).


According to a report published on the 7th (local time) by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), citing Taiwanese officials, TSMC has produced over 2 million Ascend 910B logic dies, all of which have ended up in Huawei’s possession. The report states, "If true, this quantity is sufficient to produce 1 million Ascend 910C chips," as the Ascend 910C is formed by combining two Ascend 910B dies with high-bandwidth memory (HBM).


The U.S. initially blocked Huawei from accessing TSMC's advanced node manufacturing capabilities in 2020 and expanded its export controls in October 2022 and October 2023, restricting all Chinese AI chip designers from accessing advanced semiconductor technology.


However, CSIS claims that despite these restrictions, large quantities of Huawei’s Ascend 910B chips were transported to China via Huawei-linked shell companies, in direct violation of U.S. export controls. The report describes Huawei’s stockpile of 2 million AI chips as a strategically significant reserve.


Additionally, the report links Huawei’s alleged chip acquisitions to the recent rise of China’s AI model "DeepSeek," which has gained global attention. It states that "DeepSeek's success was only possible due to flaws in the U.S. semiconductor export controls implemented in 2022 and 2023."

 

 

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