Often waving the banner of "national security," a political force in the United States continues to obstruct normal commercial cooperation between Apple and Chinese storage companies. According to Bloomberg's report on July 30, a group composed of two U.S. senators is urging Apple to abandon its purchase of chips from Chinese semiconductor suppliers, ChangXin Memory and Yangtze Memory. They even demand that Apple make a clear commitment by August 21 not to purchase chips from these two companies. An Apple spokesman did not comment immediately.
According to reports, in a joint letter addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook, several U.S. senators claimed that Apple should not use memory chips manufactured by these two Chinese companies in its products, even if the products are only sold in the Chinese market. The letter falsely described Apple’s actions as ‘short-sighted.’
This letter, led by Indiana Republican Senator Jim Bancroft and New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, also emphasizes that the aforementioned two companies have been listed on a updated “Chinese Military Companies List” by the Pentagon. It alarmingly states that Apple’s use of Chinese chips in its products would constitute a “national security risk”.
The letter also requests Apple to provide information regarding intellectual property transfers, the status of Apple’s certifications for ChangXin Storage and Yangtze River Storage components, and whether the company has ever requested priority in the supply allocation to domestic memory manufacturers in the United States or South Korea.
Senators believe that if Apple purchases Chinese memory chips, it will “set a signal for other buyers to follow.” “Once a component passes Apple’s production certification, it only requires one procurement decision to be sold globally.”
The report indicates that most of the lawmakers who signed the joint letter come from states such as New York, Indiana, and Idaho. Storage giants Micron Technology and SK Hynix are investing billions of dollars in these states to expand their production capacity. The influx of Chinese memory chips could jeopardize projects that rely on incentives provided by the US CHIPS Act for their viability.
Affected by insufficient production capacity, tight supply, and continuous price increases, Apple has been reported to be seeking to purchase storage chips from China. In early July, the British 'Financial Times' reported that Apple had begun testing DRAM chips produced by ChangXin Technology, with plans to use them in products sold in the Chinese market.
According to The Wall Street Journal, while Apple is actively lobbying the government, its major supplier and the only large-scale memory chip manufacturer in the United States, Micron, is fully opposed to this plan. This confrontation has put President Trump in a situation of conflict of interest between two major technology giants in the United States.
This lobbying battle is likely to force Trump to make a choice between two important economic goals: reducing the burden on American consumers and increasing domestic semiconductor production in order to reduce dependence on other countries. As trade negotiations continue, Trump has avoided further restrictions on Chinese companies, while also praising Apple and Micron for their expansion of investments in the United States.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly emphasized that China has always been firmly opposed to the US tendency to generalize the concept of national security and to establish discriminatory lists under various pretexts, as well as its unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises. We urge the US to correct its wrongful practices and stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises. China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.
