Top chip leaders urge national drive to ‘build China’s ASML’ amid US curbs

South China Morning PostEN 1 min read 100% complete by Coco FengMarch 5, 2026 at 10:32 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Top Chinese semiconductor executives are advocating for a national initiative to develop a domestic alternative to ASML, the Dutch company dominating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology. This call to action, published in the Chinese journal Science and Technology Review, comes in response to US sanctions hindering China's progress in chip manufacturing. The executives, representing SMIC, Empyrean, YMTC, and Naura Technology, argue that the current Chinese industry is too fragmented and weak to overcome these restrictions. They highlight US control over electronic design automation (EDA), silicon wafers, and manufacturing equipment, particularly EUV lithography, as key obstacles. The article emphasizes the complexity of EUV machines, noting their reliance on thousands of global suppliers, to underscore the need for a comprehensive, coordinated national effort.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Netherlands 40% Zhao Jinrong 50% Chen Nanxiang 50% Liu Weiping 50% Wang Yangyuan 60% Naura Technology ×270% United States 70% Empyrean ×370% Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) ×270% Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) ×380% ASML ×690% China ×490%

Keywords

semiconductor 90% asml 80% chip equipment 80% domestic alternative 70% us sanctions 70% smic 60% euv lithography 60% electronic design automation 50% integrated circuit 50% silicon wafers 40%